US1655212A - Refrigeration apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3. 1928. 1,655,212

w. H. THOMPSON REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed June 17, 1924 2 Sheets-Sneet 1 1 INVENTOR. T 2 Wm '/,4/-1,7. THOMPSON A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. THOMPSON, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS.

Application filed June 17,

, My invention relates particularly to a refrigeration apparatus adapted to be used in small units.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which will be extremely etlicient yet simple in structure and compact in form.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will'be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated "in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do n0t.limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I'may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings Figure 1 isa plan view of the circulating pump and gas cooling-unitof my apparatus.

Figure 2 is a side view of the unit shown in Figure 1 showing the gas cooling portion in sectional view.

Figure 3 is a sectional View showing the refrigerating unit of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is an elevation showing the apparatus operatively associated with a refrigerator, a portion of-the latter being broken away.

In the design of refrigeration apparatus, much difiiculty has been experienced in producing apparatus which will be both compact in structure and simple and etiicient in operation. These requirements are particu larly important in connection with units designed to be placed in homes, for the apparatus must occupy a minimum of space and will usually be operated by persons lacking in mechanical skill.

In the present embodiment of my invention,.I provide an apparatus which is parvticularly designed for the use of sulphur dioxide as the cooling agent, since sulphur dioxide has been found particularly easy to handle efficiently in a small refrigeration apparatus. As here shown, the apparatus comprises a refrigerant circulating and cooling unit 6 and a refrigerating unit 7 adapted to be placed in any place such as the refrigerator 8 here shown, Where a cooling effect is desired, suitable supply and return pipes 9 and 10 being used to connect the units 6 and 7 of the apparatus.

The'unit 6 of my apparatus comprises a 1924. Serial No. 720,480.

base portion 11 inwhich is arranged a closed chamber 12 containing gas cooling means and on which is mounted a circulating pump 13 and a motor 1% operatively connected to the pump. The pump may be of any suitable kind, but as here shown, comprises a device such as is shown in my simultaneously tiled and co-pending application for a pump Serial Number 720,481, said pump being of the double acting reciprocating type. Since in the operation of the apparatus, the gaseous refrigerant drawn through and ejected from the. pump has a comparatively high heat content, both on account of the heat acquired in its vaporization while passing through the refrigeration unit 7 and the heat of compression acquired in the pump, cooling of the refrigerant to cause the condensation thereof is necessary before it is allowed to circulate back to and through the unit 7 to effect further cooling therein. In the present embodiment, the chamber 12 serves as a storage tank for the refrigerant, an excess of the latter being provided so that a sufli'cient supply of liquid refrigerant for delivery to the refrigeration unit through the supply pipe 9 will be maintained, the inlet of the latter being necessarily disposed in the liquid. Arranged in the chamber 12 is a plurality of spiral coils 15 through which water is. arranged to be circulated in any desired manner, so that cooling and condensation of the gaseous refrigerant in the chamber may be elt'ected. Since the completeness of the cooling of the refrigerant directly affects the efliciency of the unit, continuous agitation of the gas in the chamber 12 is most desirable. Such agitation is here shown provided for by feeding the gas from the pump into the tank through two sets of angularly disposed nozzle openings .16, it be ing readily understood that the alternate discharge from the two ends of the pump will cause an alternate discharge from the two sets of nozzle openings and thus serve to maintain the desired agitation of the gas.

As here shown, the unit 7 comprises a brine tank 21, having compartments 22 projccting laterally thereinto. To maintain the low temperature of the brine as freezing is effected thereby, I preferably provide chambers 23 and 2% at opposite ends of the brine tank, the pipe 9 being here shown connected with the top of the chamber 23 and the return pipe 10 being connected to the bottom of the chamber 2st. A plurality of passages surfaces of the brine tank 21 and chambers 23 and 24 will serve to absorb heat from the may surrounding air, so that by placing the unit in the upper portion of the refrigerator, the

air so cooled may flow downward through the various compartments thereof. The supply pipe 9 contains an expansion valve 32 positioned adjacent the refrigerating unit'7. In this manner, chambers 23 and 24 and passages 26- function as an expansion chamber for the gas escaping from the expansion valve 32. A pressure gauge 38 is preferably'interposed' in the pipe 9 between the valve 32 and unit 7 so that the operating pressure of discharge through the vaLve 32 may be indicated, and the apparatus regulated accordingly. A shut-off valve 30 is provided in the pipe 9 at its point of egress from the chamber 12 so that the gas be held in the chamber 12 if desired. In the usual installation, the cooling water would usually be drawn from the pipe supply of the house and run through the coils only once, the required rate of circulation of the water being low, and not much water being therefore needed. The gas is, of

course, used repeatedly, and since the tank is sealed .no escape 1s permitted.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, a gas cooling means comprising a closed chamber providing a cylindrical gas circulating space lnto whlch gas is arranged to be discharged The under pressure, a continuous coil in said chamber arranged to have a cooling medium circulated therethrough, and means arranged to alternately and obliquely discharge gas into said chamber at different viding a cylindrical "gas circulating space Y I into which the gas from said passages is arranged to be alternately discharged in different directions to effect the substantially complete agitation of the gaseous contents of each chamber at each discharge.

8. A refrigerating apparatus arranged to effect the cooling of brine by means of a normally gaseous refrigerant, comprising a closed supply tankproviding a cylindrical chamber for the gas and the liquid of the same, a brine tank, an expansion chamber having portions positioned at opposite sides of said brinetank and a plurality of portions arranged to serve as passages between said side portions, an expansion valve through which said gas is arranged to be introduced into saidexpansion tank from said supply tank, a pump arranged to draw the gas from said expansion tank and alternately and obliquely discharge portions thereof at different points in said supply tank whereby the gaseous content thereof may be differently and. substantially completely circulated at successive discharges of the pump, and pipes interposed in the path of said circulating gas and through which a cooling fluid is arranged to be passed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Oakland, California, this 2nd "day of June, 1924.

WILLIAM H. 'TnoMPsoN.

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