US1639986A

US1639986A - Refrigerating apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1639986A
Application number: US122291A
Authority: US
Inventors: William W Conner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-07-14
Filing date: 1926-07-14
Publication date: 1927-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 1944-08-23

Description

Aug. 23, 1927.

w. w. CONNER l REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed July 14. 1926 vwentoz 53W 75Ma @Hom/t S. g

UNITED WILLIAM W. coNNEn,

STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

or SEWAEEN, NEW JERSEY.

REFRIGERATING AIEIIEA'RA'JJUS.A

Application r1 his invention relates tol refrigerating apparatus and more especially to that type of apparatus in which a 'gas such as ammonia is compressedg passed through a condenser 5 .where it is liquefied, conductedl in liquid form to a receiver llowed to expand in` a refrigerating room or'ice-making tank, and

the cycle repeated.

In an apparatus of this type, the ammonia often becomes contaminated with permanent or non-condensible gases Which accumulate in the system due to air being drawn in Vthrough pipe leaks or stuiiing boxes on the low pressure portion of the system and the decomposition of'lubricating oilV in the coinpressor. It isalso possible that under certain conditions the decomposed to some When contaminated, the efficiency the apparatus is decreased, and it is tomary to vent the permanent gases. escaping lgases may manent gas.

refrigerant itself may be extent, forming a perthe refrigerant is thus of operation of cus- The and usually do contain an'appreciable amount of ammonia vapor L' which, if allowed would reduce the tem, therein and would tions of fresh refri to escape from the sysamount of refrigerant require continuous addigerant.

An object of this invention is a simple.

efficient and inexpensive the contaminating gases from for removing purging apparatus the system without loss of an appreciable amount of the refrigerant and which may be quickly and easily attached to a standard refrigerating system.

According to the invention, the apparatus .comprises a purging the receiver of the thereto that vapor chamber located above system vand so connected in the receiver may rise intothe .chamber and liquid in the chamber will drain bygravity into the receiver.

Inv

the chamber is providedva cooling or expansiony coil through refrigerant perature in which ja portion of the is circulated to maintain the temthe chamber low enoughl to condense any ammonia gas carried into the chamber with the non-condensible gases.

The purging toother parts o f collected elsewhere chamber may also be connected the system sothat gases than in the receiver may the valves are shut off )plied from the receiver mea :ruiy i4, 192e. serial No. 122,291.

be purged and the condensed ammonia refiuxe-d to the receiver. From the purging apparatus, a vent pipe ldischarges the nonconde-nsible gases .into a waterl bottle which 'provides a Visible indication of the vapor out interruption. When the condition of the ammonia is such as to require purging, a

lvalve controlling the connection between the receiver and the chamber isopened and a valve controlling the flow of refrigerant to Vthe cooling coil is opened. The gas and vapor vfrom the receiver flow through the. urging chamber, the aininonia gas being condensed thereinv and draining back to the receiver through the same pipe through which the gases are led from the receiver to the chamber and the non-condensed gases passing out through the discharge to the water bottle. When the appearance of the bubbles in the water bottle indicate that all the noii-condensed gases have been vented. but up until this time no regulation is required. If it is desired to purge the refrigerant from another portion of thesystem, the gas and vapor therefrom are led to the purging chamber where the ammonia is condensed and drained into the receiver. Other objects, tages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and accoinpanying drawings., wherein- Figure 1 is-a diagrammatic view of la part of a refrigerating system equipped with a purger embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the purging chamber. f

represents the receiver of a refrigerating system to which liquid ammoniaunder pressure is supplied through a pipe 11 from the condenser 12 to which ammonia in vapor form has been `supplied through the pipe 13 from the usual compressor (not shown)v of such a system. Liquid ammonia is supfrigerating room or ice-making tank (not shown)` through apip-e- 14, a T valve and novel features and advan- 10 to the usual rel a pipe 16 leading from one of the branches of the valve. In the operation of this apparatus, ammonia gas at relatively high pressure and temperatureis supplied from the compressor to the condenser 12 Where it is reduced in temperature suiiiciently to render it liquid, after which it is conducted into the receiver 10 by the pipe 11, the pressure still being maintained. From the receiver 'the .refrigerant is led to the refrigerating room or ice-making coils Where it is allowed to expand, thereby cooling the room or coil. From the refrigerating room or coil, it is sucked into the compressor and the cycle .re-

-' `peatcd. While circulating throughthe system, `the ammonia becomes contaminated with certain fixed or non-condensible gases or air which increases the pressure in and decreases the elficiency of the system and which, in the absence lor any liquid traps in the system, collect in the top of the re-` ceiver 10. l

A vent is provided for removing these gases from the receiver. This ventl Comprises a chamber 1-7 supported above the top ot the receiver 10. A-pipe 18 leads from the bottom of the chamber' 17 to a T litting 19to one arm of which iscounected a pipe 20 througha valve 21, the pipe 20 being in communication with the top of the receiver 10. A pipe 22 leads from thetop of the chamber 17 and discharges into a water bottle 23, a valve 24 being provided in the pipe 22. Within the chamber 17 is arranged an expansion or cooling coil 25, one end of which is connectedthrough a valve 26 and pipe 27 with the suction side of the compressor of the system' and the other end of which is connected through pipe 28, valve 29 and valve 30 With the remaining arm of the T valve 15. Within the coil 25 is arranged a series of baiiles 31 by means of which the escaping gases and vapors are directedinto contact With the turns of the coil. A gauge glass 32 is mounted on the chamber 17 so that the presence therein of liquid may be indicated. The chamber 17 is provided With a layer 33 of insulating material.

When it is desired to purge from the system the contaminating gases collected in the upper part of the receiver 10, the vvalve 21 is opened, thereby permitting the contami.

nating gases and any vaporized ammonia contained therein to rise into the chamber 17. The

valves

26, 29 and 30 are opened to permit the ow of refrigerant from the receiver 10 through the coil 25 and to the suc? ytion side of the compressor, the" valve 29 being cracked and acting as an expansion valve. The refrigerant in the coil'25 reduces the temperature in the purging chamber 17 sufficient-ly that any ammonia vapor carried olf With vthe contaminating gases is con-l densed. The condensate reiuxes through the pipes 18 and 2,0 into the receiver 10 and additional gas and vapor How in. The valve 24 is cracked to permit the non-condensible gases to iiow off through the pipe 22 into the Water in the bottle 23. The discharge of vapor and gas from the receiver into the chamber and the removalof .the unconden'sible gases from the chamber are kept up without interruption until all the non-condensible gases have been purged from the receiver. This condition will be apparent from observation of the bubbles passing through the Water bottle or by the indication in the gauge glass 32 of liquid in the chamber 17. v The valves are then closed until further, purging is required.

Connections are' provided by means of which gases may be purged from other parts of the system. For example, a' pipe 34 leads from the inlet to the condenser 12 through a valve 35 to the valve 36 which is connected to one arm of the T tting 19. By opening the valves 35 and 36 and cracking the valve l 24, gases accumulating in the condenser may be conducted to the chamber 17. At the same time, the valve 21 is cracked, thereby permitting ammonia condensed in the 'chamber 17 to drain into the receiver 10. The cracking of the valve 21 Will permit liquid to drain into receiver 10 Without permitting the iow of any appreciable amount of vapor or gas dueto the fact that the condenser and `receiver are subjected to the same pressure. It is apparent, of course, that connections may be made` to other parts of the system, if desired, whereby gas may be vented therefrom through the purging chamber 17.

To supply the system With fresh refrigerant, there is provided a supply pipe 37 communicating With the pipe 28 through a valve 38. Also a sight glass 39 is attached to the receiver by means of Which the level of the liquid refrigerant in the receiver 10 may be indicated.

With this apparatus, permanent gas collected in th-e system may be removed there from Without any substantial loss of refrigerant. Any vaporized ammonia carried olf With the non-condensible gases Will be condensed in the chamber 17 and -Will return tothe receiver by gravity. Because of the return of the condenspd refrigerant directly to the top of the receiver, the purging operation may be carried on continuously until such time as the system has been freed of the non-condensible gases, which condition may be determined by observation of the sight glass 32 or the condition of the bubbles in the Water bottle 23. Little or no attention to the apparatus is required during the purging operation, and it is not necessary to regulate the valves between the starting and vcompletion of the operation. The condensed refrigerant is returned to the system, thereby preventing loss thereof and the refrigerant utilized 1n condensing the ammonia is also returned to the system after its expansion.

The above-described apparatus which is of simple structure and of small cost has proven highly efficient and has been used With great success in several large refrigerating installations. bodiment of the apparatus has been disclosed herein, itis to be understood that various structural changes may be made Without departing in any Way from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having I claim as new and desire to secure by ters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a refrigerating system, a receiver, a purging chamber supported above said rethus described my invention, vllieat ceiver, the top of said receiver and the bot-` tom of said'purging chamberbeing in com munication through a passageway of materially smaller cross section than said purging chamber, a cooling coil in said chamber, a conduit for supplying refrigerant from a said receiver to said coil, and a vent fromA said chamber for uncondensed gases.

2. In a refrigeratingy system, a receiver, a purging chamber supported above said receiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, a conduit for supplying refrigerant from said receiver to said coil, a. conduit of substantially less cross section than said chamber connecting the bottom of the chamber and the top of the receiver, a ventvfrom said chamber for uncondensed gases, and a valve controlling each of said conduits.

3. In a refrigerating system a receiver, a purging chamber supported above said receiver, a cooling coil in .said chamber, a conduit for supplying refrigerant from said receiver to said coil, a conduit of substantially less cross section than said chamber connecting the top of said receiver and the bottom of said chamber, a vent from said chamber for unc-ondensed gases, a valve controlling each of said conduits and a conduit leading from the high pressure portion'of the system'A to said chamber for conducting uncondensible gases thereto.

4. In a refrigerating system a. receiver, a purging chamber supported a ove said receiver, a cooling coil insaid chamber, a conduit kfor supplying refrigerant from said receiver to said coil a conduit of materially less crosshsection than said chamber leading from the bottom of the chamber into the top of the receiver, a conduit leading from the high pressure portion of said system to said chamber for conducting the uncondensible gases thereto and al vent from said chamber for the uncondensed gases.

5. In a refrigerating system, a receiver, a purging chamber supported above said receiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, a con- While a particular em-` duit for supplying refrigerant from said receiver to said coil, a conduit of materially less cross section than said chamber leading from the bottom of saidk chamber into the top-of said. receiver, a vent from said chamber for uncondensed gases, and means for visibly indicating the -character of the discharge through said vent.

6. In a refi'igerating system, a receiver, a purging chamber supported above said receiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, means to divert a portion of the refrigerant in liquid form in said system through said cooling coil, a conduit of materially less cross section than said chamber connecting the bottom of the chamber and the top of the receiver, and a vent from said chamber for uncondensed gases.

7. In a refrigerating system, a receiver,va purging chamber supported above said receiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, means to divert a portion of the refrigerant in liquid form in said'system through said cooling coila conduit of materially less cross section than said chamber connecting the bottom of the chamber .and the top of the receiver, a conduit leading from the high pressure portion of said system to said cham-` ber for conducting the uncondensible gases thereto, and a vent from said chamber for uncondensed gases.

8. In a refrigerating system, a receiver, a purging chamber supported vabove said receiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, means to divert a portion of xthe refrigerant in liquid form in said systemthrough said cooling `coil, a conduit of materially-less cross section than said chamber connecting the bottom of the chamber and the top 'of the receiver, a conduit leading from the high pressure portion 'of said system to said chamber for conducting the uncondensible gases thereto, a vent from said chamber for uncondensed gases, .and means for visibly indleating the character of the discharge through said vent.

9. In a refrigerating system, a receiver, a purging chamber supported above such receiver, the top of said receiver and the bot` toni of said purging chamber being in communication through a passageway of materially less cross section than said purging chamber, a cooling coil in said chamber, means .for supplying refrigerant to said cooling coil, and a vent from'said chamber for uncondensed gases. i

10. `In a refrigerating system, a receiver, a purging chambersupported above said re ceiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, means for su plying refiigerantto saidcooling coil, a con uit of materially less cross section than said chamber connecting the bottom-of said lchamber andthe top of said receiver, means for conducting uncondensible gases from the high pressure portion of said system to said chamber, and a ventfrom said chamber for uncondensed Gases.

11. In a. retrigerating system a, receiver, a 5 purging chamber supported'above such receiver, the top of said receiver and the bottom of said purging chamber being in communication through a, passageway of materially less cross section than said -purging chamber, a. cooling coil in said chamber, means for supplying refrigerant tosaid c001- ing coil, a, series of baffle platesvwithin said purging chamber and a vent from said chamber for uncoudensible gases.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WiLLrAM W. CONNER.