US1854223A - Refrigerating apparatus and method - Google Patents

Description

April 19, 1932. RANDEL 1,854,223

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Sept. 24, 1928 INVENTOR. 50m 19402222:

' ATTORNEYS.

I Patented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 30 FOLKE RANDEL, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO G. A. DUNHAM COMPANY,

, OF MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA REERIGERATING APIE'ARA'IUS AN D METHOD Application filed September; 24, 1928. Serial No. 307,979;

My invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and the objects. thereof are: Firsh'ito provide a refrigerating apparatus whiphjis adapted to operate under a relatively 10W pressure; second, to provide a process in which refrigeration is brought about by the actionof an inert gas on a rich solution of gas in liquid whereby the latter is weakened causing an absorption of heat and consequent refrigeration within portions of the apparatus; third, to provide a process of this class in which circulation within the apparatus is maintained by the creation of'a differential of pressure by means of a fluid pump; fourth, to provide a process of this class in which a primary and tertiary medium having great aflinit for each other are associated with a secon ary inert medium adapted to cause disassociation of said primary and tertiary medium under conditions of great temperature reduction; fifth, to provide an apparatus of this class in which a rich solution of a primary and tertiary medium may be readil weakened by a certain action of a 25 secon ary, relatively inert medium causing a- -reduction in temperature to said solution; sixth, to provide a process of refrigeration in which the various mediums employed are not in any way altered in form during the process, such as changing from gas to liquid form and vice versa but retain their initial form throughout the entire process, except such altering as is due to the solution of a vapor in a liquid, and seventh, to provide a process and apparatus of this class which are simple, conservative in space requirement, self contained and economical of o eration. I With these and other 0 jects in view as will appear hereinafter, my invention con sists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter describedin detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1- isa diagrammatical view of the apparatus employed in my refrigerating sys- 5'0 tem showing certain parts and portions in section and other parts broken away'in order to more clearly illustrate the invention, and

2 is a sectional view through 2 -21 of' 1g. 1. Y I

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout-the several views of the drawings.

The evaporator 1, refrigerating element 2, absorber 3, diffusion element 4, cooling jacket 5, vapor control valves 6, and 6a,'liquid control valves 7, and 7 a, vacuum chamber 8, circulating pump 9, motor 10, pressure chamber 11, transfer pump 12, and refrigerator 13, constitute the principal parts and portions of my refrigerating apparatus.

The evaporator 1, communicates through the refrigerating element 2 and pipe 2a with a vacuum chamber 8. The flow of liquid from'the refrigerating element 2 to the vacu. umchamber 8, is controlled by the liquid. control valve 7. The pressure chamber 11 connects with the evaporator 1,- through pipe 11a, terminatin in a perforated element 11?) shown best in fig. 2, allowin a gas to issue and bubble through the liqui in evaporator w 1. Through the pipe 1a, gas or vapor from the evaporator 1 is ledto the diffuson element 4. This diffusion element which may be made in the form of a straight tube as shown or may be made in a spiral shape or any other suitable shape to provide necessary length to accomplish its purpose, is made of a porous material so constituted as to permit rapid diffusion of a light gas through its walls, but retardingand partially preventing the diffusion ofa heavy gas therethrough. A mixture of gases of different densities passing through this diffusion element may therefore be partially separated into its different parts, the lighter gas diffusing through its walls to the outsidg while the heavier. gas will pass through theinside of the element to the discharge end.

The diffusion element 4 is in communication through pipe 4a with the vacuum chamber 8, thewflow of gas to said chamber being controlled by vapor control valve 6. The evaporator lis also in communication through the pipe 3a with absorber 3 permitting liquid to flow from said absorber to said y is obvious that this pump 12 may be omitted except for this-purpose. The pressure chamber 11 communicates by pipe 110 with the absorber. Said absorber is fitted with a perforated plate or screen 30;, permitting any liquid coming from the pressure chamber to break up in a fine spra during the descent through the absorber t us more readil absorbing any absorbable vapors in sai absorber. Thepressure chamber 11 also communicates at 11d with circulating pump 9, driven by motor 10 or any other suitable motive power. The discharge from this circulating pump 9 leads into the vacuum chamber 8, into eductor nozzles 8a and finally discharging inpressure chamber 11 at 116. As the pressure chamber is partly filled with liquid, the action of the circulating pump 9 forcing liquid through eductor nozzles 8a, will cause a lowering of the pressure in the vacuum chamber 8, and by the exhaustin of liquid and vapors from this vacuum cham er, adding same to content in pressure chamber 11, will at the same time cause an increase of the pressure in the pressure chamber.

It is this difference of pressure in the vacuum and pressure chambers caused by the action in the eductor nozzles, which creates a general circulation of the mediums through the apparatus. The pressure difference will be equal to the height of liquid column H in the evaporator 1. Any further increase of pressure in the pressure chamber will cause vapors to flow through 11a to 11b,,bubbling up through the liquid in the evaporator 1. This flow is also controlled by control valve 7a. Itbeing noted that the pressure difference will cause a general circulation of liquid from the evaporator 1 down through the refrigerating element 2 into the vacuum chamber 8, raising the level 15 of the liquid in the pressure chamber 11, causing a further flow of liquid from the pressure chamber 11, through the pipe 110 to the absorber 3, the height H from the level 15 to the inlet of the absorber being the same as the height H in the evaporator 1. This flow is controlled by the valve Get. By controlling the flow by valves 6a and 7a, the height H may be varied in the absorber and evaporator, and need not be the same in these two elements. From the absorber the liquid will flow by gravity or by means of the pressure pump 12, back to the evaporator 1. There will also be created a general circulation of gases or vapors from the evaporator 1 through the pipe 10:, to the diifusion element 1, thence through same and through the pipe 4a to the vacuum chamber 8, thence to the pressure, chamber 11 and through the pipe 11a back to the evaporator 1, bubbling through any liquid contained in said evaporator.

The absorber 3 is surrounded by the cooling jacket 5, containing cooling water, entering at 5a and discharging at. 56. The absorber may also be constructed so as to permit air cooling.

My process of refrigeration is based upon the following,

- First: The fact that a gas in solution in a liquid may be removed from this liquid by bubbling a foreign gas through the solution, provided that this foreign as is chemicallyinert to the first mentione gas and to the liquid.

Second: That ent densities may be separated by permitting the lighter gas to difiuse through porous membranes.

Third: That certain gases in being absorbed in liquids will generate heat, and conversely, when again separated from the liquid heat will be absorbed.

In carrying out the process of refrigeration within my apparatus, I employ three or more mediums which 1 preferably refer to as primaryor refrigerating-medium, and second and tertiary supplementary mediums. The primary medium is a fluid which under normal conditions remains in vapor form and which as will be shown later, remains in this form during the process of refrigeration in a mixture of gases of difiermy apparatus except as to such change in v form as accompanies an absorption in a liquid. The tertiary is a fluid which under normal conditions remains a liquid and as will also be hereinafter shown, remains in this form during the process of refrigeration in my apparatus. The tertiary medium has a strong afiinity for the primary medium absorbing same and generating heat during .this action. The secondary medium employed however, is ractically inert in respect to both the prlmary and tertiary mediums. The secondary medium is in the form of a gas and remains in this form during the entire process of refrigeration.

As suitable primary mediums may be mentioned, ammonia, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen chloride. As secondary mediums: hydrogen, nitrogen, air, carbon dioxide, butane gas or other hydro-carbon gas, etc., and'as tertiary medium: water, alcohol, ether, water with calcium-chloride, water with potassiumcarbonate, etc. While certain mediums have thus been mentioned, T do not wish to be lim-. ited to the use of such mediums as it is obvious that many others are also well suited for the purpose as my apparatus will operate with any combination of mediums having in general the same characteristics as the ones mentioned.

For the purpose of explaining the action taking place during the process of refrigeration within the apparatus, it will be assumed that the primary medium employed is ammonia vapor; second medium is nitrogen,

and the tertiary medium is water with calcium-chloride in solution, the calcium-chloride being introduced to prevent freezing of water. The system is charged with the three mediums (not considering the fourth, calcium-chloride), so that water in the bottom of the absorber 3 and in the evaporator is highly charged with ammonia gas, so called strong liquor, and water in the pressure chamber 11 is sli htly charged with ammonia gas, or 'so called weak liquor. Also the vapor above the liquid levels is mainly nitrogen gas. Now when; the circulating pumpis started, pressure will increase in the pressure chamber 11 and a general circulation of liquid and vapors will; occur as described above. while bubbling through the strong liquor-in the evaporator will cause the ammonia gas to evaporate and mix with the nitrogen gas. The temperature of the rich liquor will be lowered, and heat will be absorbed from the surrounding refrigerator.

As the liquor flows downwardly in. the opposite direction to ,the bubbles it becomes weaker and weaker and will absorb more and more heat. The flow is controlled bythe control valve 7 so as to allow-sufficient time for nearly all the ammoniato be driven out, so that the liquor passing through the refrigerating element is mainly water. The mixed gases will pass to the difi'usion element 4.

7 There, the light ammonia gas will pass quickly through the walls, while the nitrogen will passto t e vacuum .chamber8. The length 4 of the travel throu h this diffusion element is adjusted so as to ree the mixture of practically all the ammonia gas, before the end of gas willoccur.

of this diffusion element.

the element is reached.

The weak liquor in the pressure chamber 11 will be forced up through the pipe 110 and into absorber 3. In descending through this absorber, the now cool and.weak liquorbeing in good condition to reabso rb ammonia gas will absorb this gas which has diffused through the walls of the diffusion element,

.and will cause a still more rapid flow of ammonia gas through the walls by creating a pressure difference as far as this ammonia gas concerns between the outside. and inside Nitrogen gas, being practically insoluble in wa ter,'no such pressure difference will occur as far'as this nitrogen gas is concerned, and once an equal pressure. on this nitrogen gas has been established inside and outside the diffusion element, no further diffusion of the nitrogen Any ammonia gigs not diffused through to absorbed in being mixed Nitrogen with weak liquor in the vacuum chamber 8 and the pressure-chamber 11.

When ammonia gas is reabsorbed in the absorber 3, heat will be generated, which heat is removed by cooling water or by atmosphere as desired, and the same amount of heat which is thus generated and removed from the absorber, will later be absorbed in the evaporator, causing refrigeration.

It should be noted that while the motive power in a mechanical sense is much smaller in my process than in any other, being only the small power necessary to cause circulation against very small pressure difference, the motive power from a thermodynamic sense is practically the same. The refrigcrating efiect of any system is dependent upon theremoval of heat in a condenser from a medium, which is changed from vapor form to liquid form. By my process a somewhat similar transfer of heat occurs in an. absorber, and a gas is going through an action of being considerably reduced in volume by being absorbed in a liquid. The difference between my process and older processes is the fact that high pressure is not required to cause'this reduction of volume. It should also be noted that my apparatus is constructed ac- I cording to counter flow principles, the mediums which are separated orcombined in the absorber and evaporator flowing in opposite directions, thus increasing the efl'ectiveness of the apparatus.

Though I have described a particular apparatus and agents for obtaining refrigeration, I do not wish to be limited to this par ticular apparatus and these agents, but desire to include within the scope of my invention the apparatus and agents as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, a circulating system containing a solution of a soluble gas in a. liquid, and a relatively inert gas, said tion of heat and consequent refrigerating action, means for causing mixlng'of said inert gas with said soluble gas after said separation has taken place and further means for causing a partial separation of the said soluble. gas from the said inert gas by permitting the lighter, gas to diffuse through a diffusion member at a greater velocity than the heavier gas, and means for again absorbing the soluble-gas in the liquid. I

2. A process of refrigeration consisting in bubbling a relatively inert gas through a solution of a liquidand a soluble gas so as to cause the release of a portion of the soluble gas, uti

lizingthe weakened solution to absorb heat in a refrigerating coil, separating'the released soluble gas from the inert gas by diffusing the soluble gas through a diffusion member reabsorbing the solu le gas in the weakene solution, and dissipating the heat thus released.

3. In an absorption refrigerating process, the step of passing a mixture of soluble and inert gases through a porous receptacle from which the soluble gas will diffuse at a greater rate than the inert gas, and passing a liquid about the porous receptacle whereby the soluble gas will be absorbed in theliquid.

4. In an absorption refrigerating process, the step of passing a mixture of soluble and inert gases in one direction through a porousreceptacle from which the soluble gas will diffuse at a greater rate than the inert gas, and passing a liquid in the opposite. direction about the receptacle whereby the soluble gas will be absorbedin the liquid.

5. An absorption refrigerating process in v which a liquid is mechanically forced to circulate from a pressure chamber through an exhausting chamber and thence back to the pressure chamber thus causing three other fluid circulations as followsza circulation of a portion ofthe liquid from the pressurechamber through an absorption space, an

" evaporation space, a refrigerating space, the

exhausting chamber and back to the pressure chamber, a circulation of inert gas from the pressure chamber through the evaporation space, the absorptionspace, the exhausting chamber and back to the pressure chamber, and acirculation of soluble gas from the evaporation space with the inert, gas to the absorption space, thence in solution in the liquid back to the evaporation space.

6. In an absorption refrigerating apparatus, an absorber comprlsing an outer receptacle, means for conducting'a liquid into the means for circulating a heat-removing fluid through the outer receptacle, means for conducting a liquid into the upper portion of the intermediate receptacle and removing the liquid from the lower portion of the intermediate receptacle, means-for conducting a mixture of inert and soluble gases into the lower portion of the porous receptacle, and means for withdrawing the inert gas from the upper portion of the porous receptacle.

8. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a jet exhauster and a pressure chamber, means for circulating a liquid from the pressure chamber through the jet exhauster and back to the pressure chamber, an evaporator, a refrigerating coil, an absorber, means comprising the exhauster for circulating a liquid from the pressure chamber through the absorber, the evaporator and the refrigerating coil back to the pressure chamber, and means also including the exhauster for circulating an inert gas from the pressure chamber through the evaporator, and the absorber back tothe pressure chamber, said latter means also including a conduit through which a soluble gas is conveyed along with the inert gas from the evaporator to the absorber.

9. A refrigerating. apparatus comprising a jet exhauster and a pressure chamber, means for circulating a liquid from the pressure chamber through the jet exhauster and back to the pressure chamberfan evaporator, a refrigerating coil,'an absorber comprising an inner porous chamber and an outer non-porous ciamber, in which the inner chamber is enclosed, means comprising the exhauster for circulating a liquid from the pressure chamber through the outer chamber of the absorber, the evaporator and the refrigerating coil back to the pressure chamber, and means also including the exhauster for circulating an inert gas from the pressure chamber through the evaporator and the inner porous chamber of the absorber'back to the pressure chamber, said latter means also including a conduit through which a soluble gas is conveyed along with the inert gas from the evaporator into the porous chamber.

10. A refrigeratlng apparatus comprising a jet exhauster and a pressure chamber, means for circulating a liquid from the pressure chamber through the jet exhauster and back to the pressure chamber, an evaporator, a refrigerating coil, an absorber comprising an inner porous chamber and an outer non-- porous chamber in which the inner chamber is enclosed,means for dissipating heatfrorn the outer chamber, means comprising the exhauster for circulating a liquid from the pressure chamber through the outer chamber of the absorber, the evaporator and the re- .1 frig'erating coil back to the pressure chamber,

and means also including the exhauster for circulating an. inert gas from the pressure chamber through the evaporator and the inner porous chamber of-the absorber back to the pressure chamber, said latter means also including a conduit through which a soluble gas is conveyed along with the inert gas from the evaporator into the porous chamber. j

11. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a suction chamber and a pressure chamber, means for circulating fluids between these chambers to maintain a pressure difference therebetween, an evaporator, a refri crating coil, an absorber, conduits for one atmg a liquid from the pressure chamber through the absorber, the evaporator, and the refrigerating coil to the suction chamber, and conduits for circulating an inert gas from the pressure chamber through the evaporator and the absorber to the suction chamber, said latter conduits including a conduit through which a soluble gas is conveyed along with" the inert gas from the evaporator to the absorber.

12: A refrigerating apparatus comprising a suction chamber and a pressure chamber, means for circulating fluids between these chambers to maintain a pressure difierence therebetween, an evaporator, a refrigerating coil, an absorber comprising an inner porous chamber an an outer non-porous amher in which the-inner chamber is enclosed,

conduits through which a liquid is circulated from the pressure chamber through the outer chamber ofthe absorber, the evaporator and the refrigerating coil to the suction chamber, conduits through which an inert gas is circulated from the pressure chamber through the evaporator and the porous chamber of the absorber to the suction chamber, said latter conduits including a conduit through which a soluble gas is conveyed along with the inert gas from the evaporator into the porous chamber.

13. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a suction chamber and a pressure chamber, a means for c1rculat1ng fluids between these chambers to maintain a pressure difference therebetween, an evaporator, a refrigerating C011, an absorber comprising an inner porous chamber and an outer non-porous chamber m "which the inner chamber is enclosed, means for dissipating heat from the outer chamber,

.. conduits through. which a liquid is circulated from the'pressure chamber through the outer chamber of the absorber, the evaporator and the refrigerating coil to the suction chamber, conduits through which an inert gas is circulated from the pressure chamber through the evapbratorand the porous chamber of the absorber to, the suction chamber, said latter conduits including a conduit through which a soluble gas is conveyed along with the inert gas from the evaporator into the porous chamber. y

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Diego, California, this 17th day of September, 1928:

. I BO FOLKE RANDEL,

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