US1447601A - Refrigerating system - Google Patents

Description

Mar. 6, 1923..

L. PENWELL REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed June 3, 1921 #--avisil LEWIS PENWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO A.. B. TRANSIT REFRIGERA- TION' COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OE DELAWARE.

REFRIGERA'I'ING SYSTEM.

Application led June 3, 1921.

To all whom t may concern.: y

Be it known that I, LEWIS PENWELL, a

citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Statepf Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Refrigerati'ng Systems, of which the following is a specification. L' This invention relates in general to refrigerating apparatus, and more particularly to that type in which brine or'other cooled liquid is employed as the refrigerating me dium.

One of the primary purposes of my present invention is to provide an apparatus of the character indicated, the principles of which may be embodied either in stationary installations, such as small cold storage plants, or in portable installations, 4such as refrigerator cars, refrigerator trucks and the like.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which will be extremely simple in construction, and therefore economical to manufae ture and install, and one which will be substantially automatic in operation so as to require a minimum of attention. 1

Another object is to provide an apparatus which will be highly efficient in operation, and capable of cooling chambers of substantial cubical content with the expenditure of a very small amount of power.

More specifically, my invention contemplates a circulation of the cooling medium through the chamber to be cooled, partially by positive application of power, and more largely by automatic siphonic action, the apparatus being so arranged that the cooling medium is circulated near the ceiling of the chamber so as to secure a maximum and a uniform cooling effect within the chamber.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated on the accompanying drawings, one simple embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which when considered in connection with the following description, the principles of my invention and many of its inherent advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinall sectional View through an apparatus embodying my invention on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fi 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. l; and

Serial No. 474,610.

n Fig.3,is a vertical sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, reference character 5 vindicates generally the cooling chamber in which the produce to be cooled and preserved is stored. Th1s chamber may be of any preferred size and construction suitable either for stationary or portable uses, and the walls thereof have lncorporated in their structure, heatinsulatln material of well known or preferred 'c aradt'er.

At the ends of the cooling chamber, there are provided the brine tanks 6 and 7 respectively, also having 'heat-insulat.ed walls and adapted to contain brine or other preferred cooling medium. In the form of the invenn tion herein illustrated, which is designed more particularly as a stationary installation` the brine tanks are relatively low and shallow so that their tops are disposed substantially at the level of a wagon body, thereby making the delivery of ice from the wagons directly into the tanks through the openings 8 very convenient. These openings are sealed by theusual insulated covers 9, upon the removal of which the ice may be slid from the wagons directly into the brine tanks. For a portable installation, such as a refrigerator car or truck, these tanks will be considerably deeper and narrower longin tudinally of the car or truck, and would preferably extend approximately to the top of the cooling chamber. rIhe size and shape of the tanks, however, are 'of no particular moment in so far as the principles of my invention are concerned. The cooling medium which I contemplate using in the installation shown is brine at low temperatures resulting from the melting of the ice with which the tanks 6 and 7 are charged, the melting of the ice being expedited by the inv troduction into the tanks of quantities of salt, which are preferably introduced into the tanks simultaneously with the ice. In some systems, particularly stationary installations, other cooling medium than brine might be employed, and instead of charging the tanks with ice and salt, the cooling medium might be reduced to the desired temperature by a refrigerating apparatus of any preferred construction.

For the purpose of circulating the refrigerating medium through the cooling chamberl 5, adjacent the ceiling thereof, I have MES provided an apparatus, which will now be described. This apparatus comprises a main positive flow pipe 11 having its intake end 12 communicating with the interior of the tank 6 some distance from the bottom thereof, and its delivery end 13 shnilarly communicating with the interior of the tank 7. Within the cooling chamber 5, this pipe extends upwardly along one of the end` 7 to tank 6, I have provided a plurality (in the present instance 7) of siphonic return pipes 16, each extending through the cooling chamber 45 substantially parallel with the pipe 11 and communicating at each end with the interiors of the tanks 6 and 7 respectively, but at a lower level than the intakeand delivery ends 12 and 13 of the pipe 11. The relative positions of the ends of these pipes will be apparent from Figs 1 and 3, since from these figures it will be observed that the delivery ends 17 of the pipes 16 are disposed considerably nearer the bottom of the tank 6 than is the intake end 12 of the pipe 11. Similarly, the intake ends 18 of pipes 16 in the tank 7 are nearer the bottom than the delivery7 end 13 of pipe 11. This difference in the ,level of communication between the tanks and the main flow and return pipes insures that the ends of the return pipes will always be submerged in the liquid since. should the liquid level in tank 6 be withdrawn through pipe 11 until the level falls below the intake end 12, the vithdrawal of liquid from this tank will cease, leaving the lower ends 17 of pipes 16 still submerged.

The return How of cooling medium from the tank 7 to tank 6 takes place through pipes 16 by siphonic action, and as the liquid level rises in tank 7 through delivery lof cooling medium thereto from the tank 6 through pipe 11, the differences in the liquid level in the two tanks will cause a return How by siphonic action from tank 7 to tank 6 through pipes 16. This flow, however, will not continue sufficiently to reduce the liquid level in tank 7 below the intake ends 18 of the siphonic pipes 16 for the reason that before this point is reached. the liquid level in tank 6 will be sufficiently higher to stop the siphonic flow. The return l pipes 16 are always filled with liquid and the siphoning action will take place whenever the level in tank 7. exceeds the liquid llevel in tank 6.

the pump will have very little resistance to overcome, I have provided a manually operable pump 19 connected through a suction pipe 21 with each of the pipes 16 and 11, and when the apparatus is to be initially started, this suction pump is manually operated until the air in pipes 16 has been withdrawn Iand replaced by the liquid 0001-' ing medium from the tanks, whereupon the siphonic action Willbegin. It should be noted at this point that the air suction pump is connected with the pipes 16 and 11 at their highest point, thus insuring the withdrawal of all of the air from the pipes and preventing the leaving of air bubbles in the pipes which might break their siphonic action. When it becomes necessary to recharge the tanks with ice and salt, the liquid therein which has been raised to a higher temperature than desirable, is withdrawn through a drain pipe 22 equipped with a shutot't1 valve 23, the point of connnunication of this pipe with tank 6 being above the intake end 12 of pipe 11 so that there will always remain in the tanks suicient liquid to insure submergence of the ends of the pipes 16. Tank 7 may also be equipped with a drain pipe if desired, but it is unnecessary for the reason that the surplus liquid in tank 7 will be siphoned into the tank 6 as the surplus from this tank is withdrawn through the pipe 22.

In the operation of my apparatus, the cooled medium is positively circulated in one direction through the pipe 11 by the pump 14 and return flow automatically takes place by sphonic action through the return pipes 16. The cooling chamber is therefore subjected to the cooling action of all of the pipes, and since the cooling medium only flows from one tank to the other, the distance that it travels within the cooling chamber is relatively small as compared with systems in which the cooling medium is circulated back and forth through long coils and becomes materially heated so that its cooling llO action is much reduced before it is withdrawn from the cooling chamber. My improved system, therefore, is highly elicient.

and is capable of reducing the temperature closed coil installations. In this system also, instead of relying upon transmission of'heat through closed pipes in the tanks` the medium is delivered directlyfrom the cooling pipes into the tanks, where it mingles with the cold medium and this cold liquid is being constantly withdrawn from both tanks, with the result that the liquid in both pipes 16 and 11 is always at a low temperature, and when it leaves the tanks, is at the same temperature as theliquid in thetanks instead of bein several de rees warmer as it would be ift e heat trans erence took place through closed-coils in the tanks, as is customarily done. Once' thesystem is started in operation, very little power is requiredv ture is that the liquid in both tanks is'continually agitated by the withdrawal and de'- livery thereto of liquid at a plurality of points, consequently, there can be no recirculation of heated liquid, and this result is effected without the use of mechanical agi- 35 tators.

My improved apparatus is `therefore ,ex-A

tremely simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, easy to install, and is highly efficient in operation. The power required to operate it is slight, and once it has been started, it will continue to operate indeinitely withoutattention other than the periodical replenishing of the supply of ice and salt in the tanks, and the withdrawal of the surplus heated liquid through the pipe 22.

It is believed that my invention, its construction, mode of operation, and many of its inherent advantages will be understood and appreciated from the foregoing without further description, and while I have shown vand described a preferred embodiment of the invention, obviously, the details of construction may be varied within wide limits without departing Jfrom the'essence of the invention as deiined in the following claims.

I claim: Y

1. In a refrigerating system, the combination of -a cooling chamber, a plurality of tanks disposed below the upper portion of said chamber adapted to contain a refrigerating medium,.and means for circulating -said medium through said chamber, said means comprising a plurality of pipes extendingthrough the upper portion of said chamber and communicating at each end with the respective tanks below the liquid level therein and means for positively delivering vmedium through saidchamber from one tank ,to the other. f

2. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a plurality of tanks adapted to positively delivering said medium fromone tank to another, and a return pipe disposed vintermediate its ends above the level of said ktanks and communicating with the interior of both tanks below the liquid level therein whereby said medium is returned to said first tank by siphonic action.

3. \,In a refrigerating system, the combination' of a cooling chamber, a plurality of tanks adapted ,to contain a refrigerating medium, means for causing a positive delivery of said medium from one tank to another through said chamber, and siphonic means lcontain a refrigerating medium, means for tanks adapted to contain a refrigerating medium, means for establishing a diHerence in' liquid level in said tanks, and means extending through said chamber above the liquid level in said tanks tending to reestablish a common-liquid level between the tanks;

- 5. In a refrigerating system,I the combination of a plurality 'of tanks'adapted to contain a liquid refrigerating medium, a.

pipe connecting said tanks, a pump for dcliverin'gliquid through said pipe from one tank to another to produce a difference in liquid level in said tanks, and a siphonicd return lpipe'communicating with both tanks below the liquid'level therein through which the liquid levels in said tanks'tend to -equal.`

ize the central portion of said return pipe being disposed above the liquid level in said tanks.

6. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a cooling chamber, a plurality of tanks adapted to contain a liquid refrigerating medium, a plurality of circulating pipes extending through said chamber above the levelof the liquid in said tanks and communicating with the respective tanks, and means for positivel delivering liquid through one of said pipes from one tank to the other, the liquidbeing circulated in the reverse direction through another pipe by siphonic action.

7. -In a refrigeating system, the combination of a cooling chamber, tanks disposed at opposite ends and near the bottom thereof, a pipe disposed near the ceiling of said cooling vchamber and communicating at4 each vendiwith said tanks, a pumpfor causing a delivery of liquid throughsaid pipe from one onfsaid tanks to the other, and another pipe near the ceiling of said chamber disiool posed substantially parallel to said first mentioned pipe and connnunicating with each of said tanks below the liquid level therein through which liquid is returned from the second to the first mentioned tank by -siphonic action/- 8. In a refrigerating system, the combina- I tion of a cooling chamber, a pair of tanks at opposite ends of said chamber adapted to contain a liquid refrigerating medium, a pipe extending thro-ugh said chamber and communicating at its ends with the respective tanks, and another pipe extending through said chamber above the liquid level in said tanks and communicating at its ends with the respective tanks below the level of the communication of said first mentioned 4pipes with said tanks.

, bination of a cooling chamber, a pair of liquid containing tanks disposed at opposite ends of said chamber, a pipe communicating with each of said tanks -and extending through said chamber, 'a pump for deliverin liquid through said pipe from one of said tanks tothe other, and a plurality of pipes extending-through said chamber and communicatin at their ends with said respectivetanks below the liquid level therein through which` liquid is returned from said second to said first mentioned tank by siphonic action, the capacity of said second mentioned pipes being greater than the capacity of said first mentioned pipe.

11. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a cooling chamber, a liquid containing tank at each end of said chamber remote from the to'p thereof, a pipe extending through said chamber and communicating with each of said tanks, a pump for delivering liquid through said pipe from one of said tanks to the other, a plurality of return pipes extending through said chamber nearer the top thereof and communicating with each of said tanks below the liquid level therein, and means for withdrawing the air from said return. pipes.

12 In a refrigerating system, the combination of a cooling chamber, a plurality of tanks adapted to contain a refrigerating cation between said tanks -below the liquid levels therein whereby said cooling medium is returned to said first tank.

14. The combination with a refrigerator or the like having an ice compartment, of a Siphon arranged in the chamber of the refrigerator and disposed around the walls thereof, and water traps or seals at the lower ends of said Siphon, onel of which is designed to receive the water from the melting ice and the other of which is shut ofil from direct communication therewith and communicates therewith only through the siphon whereby the same will circulate through the siphon and the other provided with a drain.

15. In a refrigerator, a Siphon extending along the inside of the side and top walls of the same and having a large heat absorbing surface exposed to the provision chamber, and seals at the lower ends of said siphon and onel being disposed to receive the water from the melted ice and the other communicating therewith only through the siphon and means for filling said Siphon.

16. In a refrigerator, a siphon extending vsis along the side and top walls of the same at'V the inside and of such form and arrangement that a large heat absorbing surface is presented to the provision chamber, and seals at the lower endsl of said siphon and one being disposed to receive the water from the 'melted ice and the other receiving water only from the discharge end of the Siphon, the short leg of the Siphon being directly in communication with the drip Water tank or water supply and the outlet in the long leg communicating therewith only through the Siphon.

17. 1n a refrigerator, a siphon extending along the inside of the walls and top of the same and having a large heat absorbing surface disposed adjacent to the provision chamber of the refrigerator, the ends of the siphon being of the same length and seals at. the lower ends of said siphon and one being disposed to receive the water from the melted ice and the other communicating therewith only through the siphon, said seals being disposed at the samelevel.

LEWIS PENWELL.

Images