US1806712A

US1806712A - Cooling system foe

Info

Publication number: US1806712A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1931-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1948-05-26

Description

Patented May 26, 1931 JOSEPH SCHULMAN, OF BROOKLYN, YORK COOLING SYSTEM FOR ENGINES Application filed June 17, 1930. Serial No. 461,684.

'This invention relates to cooling systems for internal combustion engines and more particularly to such cooling systems in which the temparatureof the water is reduced by refrigerating devices.

One object of the present invention is to do away with the use of devices which consume power from the engine in effecting a lowering of its temperature, as for instance, fans draw ing cooling air in through a radiator or refrigerating systems involving compressor pumps. In accordance with the invention, the temperature of the circulating cooling fluid of the engine is reduced by a self-con;

ing apparatus as compared with such a.p-'

paratus as has heretofore been suggested .for similar purposes. ,Accordingly the refrigerating member or evaporator is surrounded by the fluid used for cooling the engine and in a separate compartmentthe radiator, condenser and absorber are subjected to the action of a cooling fluid such as air.

These and other objects of the invention and the means-for their attainment will be more apparent. from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating one embodiment by which. the invention may be realized, and in which Figure 1 is a View in side elevation showing an internal combustion engineprovided with a cooling system in which the temperature of the cooling liquid is reduced by a self-contained refrigerating unit, part of the casing being broken away to show the parts within; an

Figure 2 is an elevation looking in the direction of the arrows 22 of Figure 1, partly broken away.

Referring briefly to Figure 1, the engine block 10 is illustrated as provided with an outlet 11 for a cooling fluid, such as water, adapted to surround the cylinders and with an inlet 12 by which the cooled water reenters the water jacket of the engine 10. The heated water may be caused to circulate in any convenient fashion, but it is preferably circulated by a thermo-siphon system as will be more apparent hereafter. The water flows out of the outlet 11 and into the tank 15, which may conveniently take the place of the usual radiator and be of substantially the same general dimensions. This tank 15 may be'provided with an inlet 16 in communication with the outlet 11 of the water jacket of the engineand an outlet 17 in communication with the inlet" 12 of the engine water jacket. The means for reducing the temperature of the cooling liquid circulating through the water acket and through the tank 15 are disposed within thetank 15, a more ,detailed description thereof being given inthe following paragraphs.

Reference will now be had to Figure 2 for an explanationof one type of refrigerating apparatus capable of use with this invention; the parts of which are somewhat schemat-ically illustrated. A generator 20 contains the cooling agent, .for instance, am-

monia, dissolved in a suitable absorption liquid, such as water, the solution being indicated at 25 and the level thereof at 25a. The generator is heated by the products'of combustion from the internal combustion engine, and to this end the exhaust manifold 18 is connected as by a pipe 21 with a heating element or chamber 22 disposed within the generator 20, from the. bottom of which chamber 22 the exhaust gases pass to the mufller 19 as by a pipe 23 leading out of the bottom of the chamber- 22 and passing through the bottomofthe generator 20. Although it will be obvious that'various substances may be used as the cooling agent, it

is preferred to use ammonia, and in describing the apparatus the term ammonia will be used, but it will be understood that this is by way of example'only.

monia vapor is expelled, from the solu-' tion 25 in the generator 20 by heat from the chamber 22 and passes through a pipe 26 into a radiator 27 positioned within a compartment 28. The arrangement of the radiator and condenser coil in top causes the circulation of air, which functions for the same purpose as water in the usual refrigerator. The compartment 28 is preferably arranged for the passage therethrough of a cooling medium such as air. In the arrangement shown, the lower port-ion of the compartment is provided with an opening 29 for the ingress of air as indicated by the arrow A. At the upper portion of the compartment 28 an opening30 is provided for the egress of air as indicated by the arrow B. The circulation of air through the compartment 28 Will thus cool the radiator and other apparatus positioned therein to be presently described. The radiator 27 may comprise a relatively large conduit provided with radiating fins 31 and may lie in an inclined position as shown in Figure 2. One purpose of the radiator is to condense vapor of the absorption liquid, which vapor is steam in the instant case, and to return the condensate thus produced to the generator 20. In this case, it also serves to heat the air in the upper section of chimney 28 so that a circulation of air is established. It has been found that the introduction of water into the evaporator seriously disturbs the efficiency of evaporation. From the very nature of the operation, the cooling agent must have a lower boiling point than the absorption liquid. Conse quently, on decrease of temperature, the steam can be condensed without condensing the ammonia. The condensed steam flows back through conduit 26, which is inclined downwardly toward the generator for this purpose, and thus the condensate returns to the generator 20.

A condenser 32 is also positioned within the compartment 28 and may be as shown under the radiator 27 and serves, while parting with its heat, to cause a circulation of air within its chimney 28, a pipe 33 serving to carry the ammonia vapor from the upper end of the radiator to the condenser. The

ammonia vapor is still further cooled in the condenser by the air caused to circulate thereabout and changes from the gaseous form to the liquid form.

A pipe 34 connects the lower portion of the condenser 32 to the upper portion of a refrigerating member or evaporator 35 which is positioned in the tank 15 and serves to cool the water which in turn cools the engine. The evaporator 35 is preferably provided with radiating vanes or fins 36 to facilitate the transfer of heatfrom the surrounding water to the evaporator.

Positioned within the lower portion of the compartment 28 there is provided an absorber 37 having radiating vanes or fins 38 similar to those provided for the evaporator 35 for cooling purposes. The lower portion of the evaporator 35 is connected to the lower portion of the absorber 37 by means of a pipe, 39 whereby the ammonia vaporized in the evaporator is carried to the absorber. In

portion of the absorber 37 with the upper portion of the evaporator adjacent to that portion of theevaporator where the pipe 34 conducts the ammonia vapor thereinto.

It Will be noted that the interior of the evaporator 35 is provided with aplurality of disks 41 positioned one above'the other, each disk having one-or more openings therein arranged so that the passage of the liquid and gaseous ammonia is through atortuous passage thereby providinga large distributin-g surface whereby an effective evaporation is obtained.

The absorber 37 is also provided with a plurality of disks 42 similar to the disks 41. A weak solution of aqua ammonia passes into the upper portion of the absorber 37 through a pipe 43, and after trickling down over the disks 42, during which passage it is enriched by the upwardly flowing ammonia gas, the

resulting strong aqua ammonia solution passes out of the lower portion of the absorber through a pipe 44. The pipe 44 passes through a larger conduit or jacket 45 and is connected to an auxiliary heater 46 positioned around the chamber 22. A pipe 47 is connected to the auxiliary heater 46 and discharges into the generator at a point slightly above the level 25a of the l1qu1d therein. One end of the jacket 45 is connected' to the pipe 43 and the other endof 1 the jacket is connected by means of a pipe 48 to the lower portion of the generator 20.

In operation the circulation of the water of the engine cooling system takes place on the thermo-siphon principle. The water heated by the engine passes upward and out through the outlet 11, and because of the.

lowered temperature in the 'tank'15, downward and back to the engine through the in let 12. The discharging gases from the exhaust of the engine pass through the chamber 22 and the chamber 22 thereby serves as a'heating device for the refrigerating system.

The operation of the refrigerating system for purposes of explanation may convenient- 1y be described as involving three different circulating systems- The first, or main circulating system, is as follows :the ammonia gas in the aqua ammonia solution in the generator 20 is driven off by the heat and passes generator.

into the radiator 27 where any. moisture carried over is condensed and flows back into the generator. The ammonia gas then passes into the condenser 32 where it changes into the form of a liquid due to the cooling action of the air circulating through the compartment 28 from the inlet opening 29 to the outlet opening 30. The liquid ammonia then passes through the pipe 34 into the evaporator 35. I The ammonia gas passing into the evaporator 35 mingles and diffuses with the hydrogenpassing into the evaporator from the pipe 40. The total pressure in the evaporator as shown on the gauge is substantially the same at that in the condenser but due to the fact that a large portion of the gas is hydrogen, the partial vapor tension of the ammonia is much reduced and the ammonia is vaporized at the same time absorbing heat and cooling the engine circulating water in the tank 15. The mixtureof hydrogen and gaseous ammonia then passes through the pipe 39into theabsorber37 and up through the disks 42 where it meets the downward stream of weak aqua ammonia supplied by the-pipe 43. A considerable portion of the ammonia is dissolved into this liquid at the same time throwing ofi' heat which is carried away by the circulating air in the compartment 28. The strong aqua ammonia passes out through the pipe 44 into the auxiliary heater 46 and is finally discharged through.

the pipe 47 into the generator 20.

A- secondary circulating system is that of the aqua ammonia between the generator 20 and the absorber.37.' The weak aqua am monia from the generator 20 passes out from the generator at the lower portion thereof through the pipe 48, through the Jacket 45 and upward through the pipe 43, discharging into the upper" portion of the absorber 37. The strong aqua ammonia from the absorber passes out therefrom through the pipe 44, through the auxiliaryheater 46, upward through the pipe 47 and into the It will be noted that the level of theliquid in the generator 20 is higher than that in the absorber 37. The pumping action which is necessary to raise the liquid from the lower level existing in the absorber 37 to that in the generator 20 is produced by the auxiliary heater 46.. The heater vaporizes a sufiicient amount of the ammonia so that the pipe 47 .is partially filled with liquid and partially filled .with gas.

less than the total height of the liquid in the pipe 44 so that the liquid in pipe 44 is able to force the lesser head of liquid in the pipe 47 up into the generator. It will be noted that the jacket 45 acts as a counterfiow heat interchanger, the hot weak aqua ammonia from theP being cooled some:

what before 'it is discharged into the ab- The. total height of the liquid in the pipe 47 is sorber through the pipe 43 while at. the same time the .cool strong aqua ammonia from the pipe 44 is heated somewhat before it onters the auxiliary heater 46.

The third circulating system is that which takes place between the evaporator 35 and the absorber 37. The liquid ammonia entering This process of diffusion of the cooling.

agent or ammonia into the auxiliary agent (which obviously entails difluslon of the auxiliary agent into the cooling agent) results in I evaporation of the cooling agent whereby heat is abstracted from the engine cooling fluidsurrounding the evaporator without however necessitating change in actual or total pressure between the c ondenser and the evaporator.

Any auxiliary agent may be contained within the evaporator to work with the ammonia as a cooling agent so long as these substances have very greatly different specific molecular weights a result of which it is possible to obtain an eflicient circulation and effect difiusion.

As will be readily understood, the ammonia gas and hydrogen mixed in the evaporator 35 flow downwardly therein and through pipe 39 into the lower part of the absorber 37.

In the absorber, the gas mixture comes into contact with weak absorption liquid supplied.

thereto from the generator 20 through pipe 43 and distributor disks 42, i. e., with liquid in which there is relatively less cooling agent dissolved. With this. grouping of the gaseous mixture and the absorption liquid, which, in. the illustration given, is water, the result is an absorption or dissolving of ammonia by water and a liberation of hydrogen. Now, since, we above stated, hydrogen is of markedly difierent specific weight than ammonia, and since hydrogen is very much lighter than ammonia, it will be seen that the weight per unit volume of gas after being freed from ammonia 1n the absorber is less;

than the weight of gaseous mixture perunit volume formed in the evaporator. Therefore, with a suitable interconnection of the evaporator and absorber, there will be preponderance of downwardly directed gravitational force produced, in the evaporator for causing automatic circulation of gas between and through the evaporator 35 and absorber 37. The hydrogen passes upwardly in the absorber 37 and through the pipe 40. into the upperpart of the evaporator 35. .where it is again mixed with the heavier ammonia vapor and is carried downwardly as part of the mixture through the pipe 39 to the lower part of the absorber in which the ammonia is forced into the solution and the light hydrogen is freed and again passes upwardly Within the absorber. There is thus established an automatic circulation of gas between and through the evaporator and absorber which makes it possible to obtain refrigerating apparatus without moving parts.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the character of refrigeration apparatus combined with the engine cooling system as well as in the configuration and construction of the component elements thereof so long as waste heat of the engine is utilized to effect circulation of the refrigerant and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying rawings except as indicated in the appended claims.

This application is a continuation in part of United States application, Serial No..327,- 329 filed December 20, 1928, and abandoned June 17th, 1930, for cooling system for engines.

What is claimed is 1. A cooling system for an internal combus tion engine comprising an engine cooling fluid circulating system, a refrigerating system for cooling said fluid of a type adapted to be operated by energy supplied thereto in the form of heat, and means for supplying heat thereto from the waste heat of the engine.

2. A cooling system for an internal combustion engine comprising an engine cooling fluid circulating system, a refrigerating system for cooling said fluid of a type adapted to receive the energy necessary for its operation solely in the form of heat, and means for supplying heat thereto from the waste heat of the engine.

3. In a cooling system for an internal combustion en ine, in combination, a container for the engine cooling fluid, refrigerating apparatus disposed therein, and containing a cooling agent and means to vaporize said cooling agent by the waste heat of the engine.

4. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine, in combination, a container for the engine cooling fluid, refrigerating apparatus disposed therein and containing a cooling agent, a generator for the cooling agent and means to conduct exhaust gases of the engine to the generator.

5. A cooling system foran internalcombustion engine having an exhaust manifold comprising an engine cooling fluid circulating system, an absorption type of'refrigerating system for cooling'said fluid, and means for supplying heat energy to said refrigerating system from the exhaust manifold of the engine.

6. 'A cooling system for an internal combustion engine having an exhaust manifold comprising an engine cooling fluid circulating system, an absorption type of refrigerating system for cooling said fluid, means for supplying heat energy to said refrigerating system from the exhaust manifold of the engine, and means within-the refrigerating system for producing circulation o the cooling agent with the system hermetically sealed to the outside air.

7. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine, in combination, a container, means to conduct heated cooling fluid from the engine to the top of the container, means to conduct the cooling fluid from the bottom of the container to the engine, refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator in the container and surrounded by the cooling fluid of the engine, a condenser through which a cooling agent passes to the evaporator, an absorber to which the cooling agent passes from the evaporator, a generator for the cooling agent connected with the condenser and the absorber, a heating chamber within the generator, and means to conduct exhaust gases from the engine to said chamber.

8. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine, in combination, a container, means to conduct heated cooling fluid from the engine to the top of the container, means to conduct the cooling fluid from the bottom of the container tothe engine, refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator in the container, a radiator, a condenser and an absorber in a separate compartment, a generator for the cooling agent outside of the container and the compartment but connected with the condenser and the absorber, means for connecting the condenser and the absorber to the evaporator, a heating chamber within the generator, and means to conduct exhaust gases from the engine to said chamber.

9. In a cooling system for an internal combustion engine, in combination, a container, means to conduct heated cooling fluid from the engine tothe top of the container, means to conduct the cooling fluid from the bottom of the container to the engine, refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator in'the container, a radiator, a condenser and an absorber in a sep aratecompartment, a generator for the cooling agent outside of the container and the compartment but connected with the condenser and the absorber, means for connecting the condenser and the absorber to the evaporator, a heating chamber. within the generator, and means toconduct exhaust gases from the engine to said chamber, a separate compartment having an opening on top and an opening in the bottom, the radiator and condenser being so placed as to create a draft to thereby cool the radiator, condenser and absorber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOSEPH SCHUL'MAN.