US1813250A - Means for conditioning and circulating the air in cold storage rooms - Google Patents

Description

C. A. MOORE Jill 7, 1931.

MEANS FOR CONDITIONING AND CIRCULATING THE AIR IN COLD STORAGE ROOMS Filed Feb. 7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jvwcmov July 7, 1931. c. A. MOORE 1,813,250

MEANS FOR CONDITIONING AND CIRCULATING THE AIR IN COLD STORAGE ROOMS Filed Feb. 7; 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet z H. 30 I B I C B 30 I 3 6 7 Char/es i l-Moore dam 334,511 heretofore Patented 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE CHARLES A; Medan, on EDINA; MINNESOTA.

Means iron c'onnrrromne AND oiRcULAT'ING THE AIR IN com) STORAGE ROOMS Application filed February 7, 1929. Serial No. 338,181.'

My invention relates to improvements in means for circulating and conditioning the air in cold storage rooms.

A prior application for patent, Ser. No.

filedby myself discloses means for refrigerating and controlling the circulation of air in a cold sto-rage r'oom, the

. same including banks of overhead refrigerant coils extending longitudinally :of the room over acentral trucking aisle, said banks of coils being spacedapart horizontally toform a central port in the coilasseinblyr About this assembly are side and end ba-fiie walls, the upper edges thereof, like the uppermost reaches of the coils in said assembly, being disposed; beneath the ceiling of the. room. to

provide a space between the coils and ceiling into which the air along the ceilingmay flow. Located in this space in a vertical plane, medially of said port, is a longitudinal ceiling bafile consisting of superimposed refrigerant pipesadapted to be frosted together.

Taking off from the feed pipe of this longitudinal ceiling battle and returning to the 5 return ,pipe of said bafile are a number of valved refrigerant, pipes forming lateral baffles, the same being located at intervals between the ends of the room. The .longitudinal baffle marks off two main bays infthe room, while the lateral baffles mark off smaller 1 bays in each main bay; Directly beneath each lateral baflie is a conduit open at the upper side thereof, its outer end being closed and its inner end open and projecting into the 1 space occupied by, therefrigerant coils be tween the side wall battles The circulation of air inthe room is mainly confined to two circuits as follows: Airabo ut the coils, being refrigerated, descends at the central aisle, thence divides and flows in opposite directions toward the side walls ofthe room, thence rises along the relatively warm walls to the upper portion of the room, thence flows in ward from the sides along the ceiling of the room into the space above the refrigerant coils and:tl1ence descends again, thus com- .pleting the cycle. The longitudinalbaflies prevent the relatively warm air of arelatively high, percentage of humidity at the ceiling from crossing over the refrigerant coils from one side of the room, where newly stored l'a' ding of relatively high temperature. may be placed, to the other side of the room where refrigerated goods may be located. And the lateral baflles likewise prevent the passage of relatively warm air of arelatively high perceived in the conduits--therebeneath and directed thereby into the space between the side bafiie walls, wherein, as previously noted, the refrigerant coils are located, Fro-In the foregoing, it will be understood that in the invention disclosed in said prior application, Ser. No; 334,511,the're is a natural convective and diffused circulation of air, induced by gravity, in the particular circuits noted.

An object of the present invention is to associate with a structure, embodying the features aforesaid, such means as will stimu late such natural, convective and diffused'circulation of air in a cold storage'room and enhance the refrigerating effect of the equipment provided, it being a purpose of the present invention to take advantage of the Various element-s in their respective relations in the prior combinaticn'to produce the results of the "instant invention in a simple and effective manner.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear in the following d.escriptlon, the invention resides 111 the novel combination and arrangement of parts and I in the details of constructions hereinafter described and claimed. 7

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view showing, in section, the walls of a cold storage ro'on'i and illustrating, in plan,an embodiment of my invention in air circulating" and conditioning means arranged within the room; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken as on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a similar view taken as on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, I have illustrated a room A. having side walls 10, end walls 11 and ceiling 12, said room being elongated in accordance with the presently accepted designs of rooms for commercial cold storage plants, wherein. a central trucking aisle is provided in a room for the transfer of lading to and from the storage spaces along the length of the room at either side of the central aisle.

Located overhead along this central aisle is the major portion of the apparatus embodying my invention, the remaining portions being represented in lateral baiiies and conduits therebeneath, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

In the part of the structure extending overhead along the central trucking aisle, I supply a U-shaped assembly of refrigerant conducting pipes 13, the two legs of the asse1nbly comprising horizontally spaced banks B extending lengthwise of the aisle and the base comprising a connecting bank 0 extending transversely of the aisle at one end of the pipe assembly. Each of said banks of pipes consists of three horizontally spaced tiers, the corresponding pipe portions in the diii erent tiers of said banks being parts of a length of pipe bent in U-shaped formation. At the open end of the pipe assembly, opposite the connecting bank C, are two upright refrigerant headers 14 and 15, "the former being a feed header, which is connected 9 lower end with a feed main 1'6, and. the latter being a return header, which is connected at its upper end with a return main 17. These ma' ..S 16 and 17 are connected with a source refrigerant supply, not shown. lllach of the U-shaped pipes 13 is connected at one end thereof with the feed header 11- and at its other end with the return heznler 15. And each pipe 13 is fitted with a valve 13 near its connection with said feeder header 1%. a second valve 18 being also 1ll'.1( therein near the connection between the e and said return header 15. The pipe ported from the ceiling 12 by means 4 straps 19 supplied with hoe." "l in which the reaches of pipe rest. The dance between the reaches of the pipes 13 ineach tier, particularly the outer tiers, is such that the accumulation of frozen condensation on said pines will cause the frosting together of the same in solid formation. And the distance between the ceiling 12 and the uppermost reaches of pipe in the pipe assembly is such as to provide an air space D (Fig. between said assembly and ceiling. Suspended. from the ceiling 12 by means of han straps 21 and surrounding the assembly refrigerant pipes 13 are side bafiie walls 22 and 23 and end baffle walls 24; and 25, the upper ed y' of said baffle walls being d'-.poscd sli beneath the level of the upper reaches of mger pipes 13 and, consequently, being clear of the air space I) above the assembly of pipes 13. The side baflie walls 22 and 23 and the end baflie wall 2% are spaced from the corresponding sides and end of the pipe assembly to provide communicating side and end passageways E, F and G. Between the end baifle wall 25 and the adjacent end of the pipe assembly is a partition wall 26, which together with said end baffle wall 25 forms an air heador H, the same being in c-on'nnunication with said side passageways E and F. In this connection, it will be noted that the communicating passageways E, F and G are open along the top thereof. Said passageways, however, may be closed at the bottom by allowing suiticient frost to accumulate on the reaches of the lowermost pipe 13, whereby the spaces between baffle walls and pipe are blocked, Figs. 2 and 3. The air header H is also open along the top thereof, but obviously may be closed, if and when desired, by any suitable closure.

he partition wall 26 is formed with an opening 27 therein receiving the blades of a fan 28 which is supported upon a bracket 29 secured to the inner side of the end baiile wall 25. This opening 27 and the fan 28 have a common axis lying in a vertical plane inedially of port I formed between the banks B of pipes 13, the position of said axis in elevation being between the horizontal planes of the uppermost and the lowermost of the refrigerant pipes 13. At the lower edges of the baffle walls 22, 23, 2-1 and 25 are inwardly extending drain members 30 forming a continuous gutter from which accumulated condensation is drained as by means of a drain pipe 31. In this connection it may be noted that the drain member 30 at the lower edge of the end baiiie wall 25 closes the bottom of the air space in the header H, which, as previously stated is formed between said end baflie wall 25 and the adjacent partition wall 26.

Extending along the ceiling 12, medially of the port I is a longitudinal ceiling baffle J consisting of upper and lower reaches of a refrigerant pipe 32 formed with a hair pin bend at 33. aid reaches of the pipe 32 are closely adjacent each other and adapted to be frosted over solidly by the accumulation thereon of frozen condensation, the upper reach of said pipe being disposed closely adjacent to the ceiling 12. The lower reach of the refrigerant pipe 32 communicates through a connection with the feed header 1e, said connection being fitted with a valve 35. And the upper reach of said pipe 32 communicates through a connection 36 with the return header 15, said connection 36 being fitted with a. valve 37. Lateral ceiling bullies K, similar in construction to the. longitudinal baiile J are provided at intervals between the ends of the room, each of said baiiies comprising a refrigerant pipe 38, bent as at 139, the upper and lower reaches I IU being fitted with a valve 39. These lateral ceiling baflies K, eiitendingfrom the structure over the central trucking aisle 1n the room,

reach siibstanti'ally to the side walls 10. Be-

neatheach lateral bafile K is a trough or conduit '40, "opening along the top thereof directly below the baffle, said trough having a closure 41 at its outer end, but being open at the, inner end thereof. Said inner end of each trough or conduit is fitted in a notch cut in the upper margin of oneof the side wall bafiies 22, 23 and communicates with the space between said side baffle walls in which the assembly of pipes 13 is disposed. Hangers 42, 43 and 44 support thepipes 32-, 38 and the troughs 40, respectively.

As previously indicated, the circulatlon set up in room equipped with a structure of the instant natureis confined generally to two "circuits as follows: The air about the banks B of the pipes 13 and in the port I between said banks being refrigerated descends by gravity iii the central aisle dividing at the center of the room and flowing toward the side walls, mainly at the lower portions of the lading spaces at either side 'of the aisle. Rising along the relatively warm side walls, the an ascends to the ceiling, then c'e flows inward from either side passing along the ceiling and into the space D above the pipes13, and thence again descends about the pipes 13 and port I, thus completing thecycle. Warm air of relatively high humidity which has ascended to the ce 1ling from a pile of relatively warm ladi'ng 1s kept from passing through the space above the pipes 13 and "descending on refrlgerated goods at the opposite side of the aisle by means of the longitudinal baffle J. And, similarly, by meaiis of the lateral baiiies K such warm air is kept from passing along the cei'l-' ing, longitudinally of'th'e room, to another bay at the same sideof the aisle and descending in said bay on refrigerated goods therein disposed. The air refrigeratedabout the longitudinal baffle J descends through the port I between the banks B of pipes 13, while the air refrigerated about the lateral bafiies K descends into the troughs or conduits 40 and thence flows therethrough into the space between the ' side baffle walls 22 and 23, where it is further refrigeratedby the pipes 13 and caused to descendin the main, central stream medially of the room. I v

The application of my present lnvention to a structure functioning as above pointed'out, stimulates the flow of the "air in the circuits established by gravity and renders the refrigeratingequipment more effective. Thus,

I permitthe outer tiers of pipes 13 to become frosted over asindicated in dotted'lines in 'Figs. 2 and 3. This seals the inner walls and the bottoms 'of .-thepassageways E, F and G.

tending laterally of the room an *ith the fan -28 in operation, theair flowing along the conduits 40 passesinto the passageways E, F.y .Also, a part of the air flowing along the ceiling and into the space D over the pipe assembly passes into said passageways E, F, and also into the passagewayG and the open upper part of the air header H. This air in these passageways is drawn along the same to the fan 28 and .thence blown by; c

the fan into the port I.. In passingthrough said passageways E, F and G, the air is cooled by the pipes 13 in the outer tiers and is further cooled by the inner tiers of said pipes after leaving the fan and upon entering the, port I. W hen'the refrigerating and air circulating effectby gravity alone sufiices,'the operation of the fan 18 is discontinued and 'phe outer tiers of pipe defrosted, partiallyaat east.

The valves 18, 35 and 39 provide forselec tively bringing into and putting out of opera 151011, the pipes 13 and ceiling baflies J and K, respectively. r I

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein, disclosed, may be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having describedni-y invention, what I claim as new and desire Patent is: 1

1. The combination with a roomof overhead refrigerating and air circulating means "eXtending longitudinally 'of the room between the side Wall-sthereof, said means including refrigerant pipes arrangedjln tiers spaced t apart horizontally to form a port between them, side andrba flie walls' about the tiersof pipes, the upper edges of said b'afli'e walls and the upper refrigerant .pip'es being disposed below the ceiling to provide a space for the passage of airbetween the same and the ceillng, eachslde baffle wall being spaced horizontallyfroin the adjacent, tier offpip'es to to protect by Letters form a passageway open at the top and ex:

tendinglongitudinally of the room between 3 said end bafiie walls, the adjacent pipes in each tier be1ng close to each other and adapted to be frosted together solidly, the accmnul'ation 'offro'st on lower pipe of each ti'e-r being adapted to close the bottom of the passageway formed by thetier and the adjacent side baffle wall, refrigerating elements ex forming ba'liies at the ceillng thereof, air conduits, one for each 'of said refrigerating elements, each eo'ndult opening "at its upper side beneath its respective refrigerating element and opening at its inner 'end into oneof said passageways, a partition wall adjacent one of the 'end haflie walls forming, air header communicating with said longit'u'dina-l passageways, said partition wallhav- 111g an opening therein registering with the port between said tiers ra-gingham pipes,

' a fan arranged to draw the air from said air in connection therewith, an

header and blow it though said opening into and along the port between said tiers of pipe.

2. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and air circulating means extending longitudinally of the room between the side walls thereof, said means including refrigerant pipes arranged in tiers spaced apart horizontally to form a port between them, side and end baflle walls about the tiers of pipes, the upper edges of said baflle walls and the upper refrigerant pipes being disposed below the ceiling to provide a space for the passage of air between the same and the ceiling, each side battle wall being spaced horizontally from the adjacent tier of pipes to form a passageway open at the top and extending longitudinally of the room between said end baffle walls, the adjacent pipes in each tier being close to each other and adapted to be frosted together solidly, the accumu lation of frost on lower pi 3e of each tier being adapted to close the bottom of the passageway formed by the tier and the adjacent side bafile wall, a partition wall adjacent one of the end baffle walls forming, in connection therewith, an air header communicating with said passageways, said partition wall having an opening therein registering with the port between said tiers of refrigerant pipes, and a fan arranged to draw the air from said air header and blow it through aid opening into and along the port between said tiers of pipe.

3. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and air circulating means extending longitudinally of the room between the side walls thereof, said means including banks of refrigerant conductors spaced from the ceiling to provide an air space thereover and spaced horizontally from each other to provide a port communieating with said air space, side baffle walls, one adjacent each bank of refrigerant conductors, each side baffle wall and its respective bank of refrigerant conductors forming an air passageway open at the top thereof, spaced walls at one end of the conductor assembly forming an air header connnunicating with said longitudinal passageways, the inner wall of said two spaced walls having an opening therein registering with the port between said banks of refrigerant conductors, and a fan arranged to draw the air from said air header and blow it through said opening into and along said port.

l. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and air circulating means extending longitudinally of the room be tween the side walls thereof, said means including banks of refrigerant conductors spaced apart horizontally to provide a port between them, side baffle walls, one adjacent each bank of refrigerant conductors, each side baffle wall and its respective bank of refrigerant conductors forming an air passageway open at the top thereof, an air header at one end of the conductor assembly communicating with said passageways, and a fan arranged to draw the air from said air header and blow it into and along said port.

5. The combintion with a room of overhead refrigerating and air circulating means extend'ng longitudinally of the room between the side walls thereof, said means in cluding banks of refrigerant conductors spaced apart horizontally to provide a port bet. een them, side baffle walls, one adjacent each bank of refrigerant conductors, each side baffle wall and its respective bank of refrigerant conductors forming an air passageway open at the top thereof, and means for drawing the air from said passageways and blowingit into and along said port.

6. The combination with a room of refrigerating and air circulating means ex tending longitudinally of the room and including a bank of refrigerant conductors, a side bahie wall adjacent said bank of refrigera-ntconductors forming, in connection therewith, an air passageway open at the top thereof near the ceiling, and means for drawing air from said passageway and blowing it along said bank of refrigerant conductors.

7. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and air circulating means extending longitudinally of the room between the side walls thereof, said means including banks of refrigerant conductors spaced apart horizontally to provide a port between them, side baille walls, one adjacent each bank of refrigerant conductors, each side baffle wall and its respective bank of refrigerant conductors forming an air passageway open at the top thereof, refrigerating element at the ceiling of the room extending laterally thereof, means suspended beneath said refrigerating elements for receiving the air descending therefrom and conducting it into said passageways, and means for drawing the airfrom said passagewaysand blowing it into and along said port.

8. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and air circulating means extending longitudinally of the room between the side walls thereof, said means including a bank of refrigerant conductors, a baffle wall adjacent one side of said bank of refrigerant conductors forming in conjunction therewith an air passageway, a conduit extending laterally of the room and open along its length near the ceiling for the ingress of air thereto, said conduit leading to said passageway, and means for drawing the air from said passageway and blowing it back along said bank of conductors.

9. The COHlblDZttlOll wi h a room of refrigerating and air circulating means extended L we room, said means including a bank of refrigerant conductors, means forming air passageways, open at the top, along the sides ing along the length thereof and being closed by pipe at one end and open at the otherend,

of said bank of conductors and means for drawing air from said passageways and blowing it along said conductors between said passageways.

10. The combination with a room of refrigerating and air circulating means extending along the room, said means including a bank of refrigerant conductors, means form-v ing an air passagewayv along the side of said bank of conductors, a conduit open along the ceiling for the ingress of air thereto, said conduit leading to said air passageway, and means for drawing air from said passageway and blowing it along said bank of refrigerant conductors.

11. In combination, a structure forming a chamber, an assembly of banked refrigerant pipes extending along the chamber near the ceiling thereof consisting of superimposed U-shaped reaches of pipe, said assembly thus formed having a vertical central port extendheaders for said pipe at the open end of the assembly, and a fan at said end thereof adapted to blow air into said port lengthwise thereof in the direction of the closed end of the assembly.

12. In combination, a structure forming a chamber, a bank of refrigerant conductors extending along the chamber near the ceiling centrally of said chamber and formed to provide a vertical central port extending along the same and opening through one end thereof only, and a fan at said open end of said bank arranged to blow air into said port, lon-' gitudinally thereof in the direction of the closed end.

13. In combination, a structure forming a formed for the descent therethrough fromend to end thereof of air from the upper to a lower portion of the room and for the intro- I I I duction of air thereto lengthwise thereof, supplementary means for refrigerating air, and means for blowing such air into said assembly in the direction of its length.-

16. The combination with a room of an overhead refrigerating and air circulating assembly of refrigerant conductors extending longitudinally of the room and spaced from i CHARLES A. MOORE.

chamber, a bank of refrigerant conductors extending along the chamber near the ceiling, and formed to provide a vertical centralport extending along the same, and a fan arranged to blow air into said port longitudinally thereof from one end of the bank of conductors. V

14. The combination with a room of overhead refrigerating and air circulating means centrally disposed longitudinally of the room and spaced from the ceiling thereof, said meanscomprising a bank of horizontally arranged refrigerant pipes spaced apart and providing a way for the descent therethrough of air from the upper to a lower portion of the room and for the passage of air lengthwise through the bank, means supplementary to said first means for refrigerating air preparatory to its endwise introduction into said bank of pipes, and means for blowing such air into the bank lengthwise thereof. 7

15. lhe combination with a room of an overhead refrigerating and air circulating assembly of refrigerant conductors extending longitudinally of the room and spacedfrom the ceiling thereof, said assembly being lie

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