US1859953A

US1859953A - Apparatus for cooling liquids

Info

Publication number: US1859953A
Application number: US291842A
Authority: US
Inventors: Otto F Boyer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1928-07-11
Filing date: 1928-07-11
Publication date: 1932-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 1949-05-24

Description

May 24,1932-- y o; FBQYER 1,859,953

lAPPAMTIS FORi COOLING LIQUIDs Filed Ju1y 11, 1928' v Patented May 24, v1932 OTTO F. BOYER, F LOS PATENT OFFICE ANGELES, CALIFORNIA APPARATUS FOR COOLING LIQUIDS Applieation med July 11,

This invention relates to an apparatus for cooling liquids in a simple and eifective manner. The invention 'particularly relates to an apparatus whereby liquids may be cooled in small increments although the total quantity of liquid cooled. may be large. The

apparatus utilizes a liquefied refrigerant and also employs a portion of the liquid being cooled as a cooling agent for further quantilo ties of liquid.

Although liquefied refrigerants such as sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide have been utilized in maintaining low 'air temperatures in refrigerators and the like, such refrigerants have not been employed heretofore for cooling liquids. In most cooling of 'refrigerating systems heat is transferred from the bodies being cooled by radiation, convection and conduction simultaneously and this iny 2o volves necessarily aslow rate of heattransfer at low temperatures.

At hi h temperatures, that is temperatures of`over about 210 F., the rate of heat transfer under these conditions is materially increased, for example, radiation increases as the square of the temperature of the radiating surfaces increases. By substantially eliminating radiation and convection and limiting the transfer of'heat almost exclusively to that transferred by conduction alone, I amv able tol cool fluids very rapidly at low temperatures or to low temperatures. An object of this invention is to disclose and provide an apparatus adapted to carry out this invention in a simple and effective manner. Another object is to disclose and provide an apparatus adapted to cool liquids with a liquefied refrigerant. Another object is to disclose an apparatus adapted to coolv 4u liquids with liquefied refrigerants and utilize transfer of heat by conduction.

Other objects, advantages and results obtained by the use of myinvention will become, apparent from the following more ydetailed I description of one form of apparatus. It

1928. Serial No. 291,842.

will be understood that numerous changes and modifications may be made in the particular form of apparatus shown, the drawing appended hereto showing one form of apparatus merely for purposes of illustration.

The drawing appended hereto is avertical cross-section of an apparatus adaptedzto cool f liquids by means of a liquefied refrigerant. In the drawing, l denotes a receptacle or Vhousing of anyv desired shape but preferably cylindrical provided with in/let means 2'and outlet means 3 for the liquid to be cooled. A plug 4 may be provided in the upper portion of the receptacle 1 so as to provide means for the escape of air or other gases present within the receptacle before the interiorof the receptacle 1 is filled with the liquid to be cooled.

One or more smaller receptacles or chambers may be formed within the larger recep- ,tacle 1 by means of a shell 5 operably connected with the receptacle 1 by welding as at 6 or by means of screw threads. The receptacle 1 ymay be provided with an outlet or opening 7 which leads into the inner compartment formed bythe shell 5. A anged body or closure 8 is operably placed over the opening 7 and connected to the receptaclel in any suitable manner, for example by means of tap bolts 9. Means for admitting a liquefied refrigerant through the closure 8 into the inner shell 5 are provided. The flanged body 8 may be the body portion of a pin valve having a port 10 adapted to be closed by means of a valve 11.

The particular shape and construction of the pressure tank 1 with opening 7 leading directly into the inner tank chamber 5 without any liquid or gas connections lor openings between the linterior of tank 1 and tank 5, 35 results in a simple unitary body of particular utility. Y

The pin 11 is preferably operated by means of a ioat 12 of any desired description adapted to float upon the surface of a liqueed refrigerant 13 within the inner chamber formed by the shell 5. Float valves of this description are known in the art and the details of construction need not be entered into here.,

All of these valves, however operate in such a manner that a' lowering of the liquid level within the chamberformed b the shell 5 results in a depression of the oat 12 which activates the valve 11 pivotally connected thereto in such a manner that the port 10 is opened and the liquefied refrigerant such as liquid sulfur dioxideenters the chamber formed b the shell 5 through a supply means 14 opera ly connected to the anged body portlon 8, port 10 and discharge ports 15 emlptying into the inner chamber.

vapor outlet 16 is provided from the inner chamber so that any liquefied refrigerant volatilized within the inner chamber made by the shell 5 may be discharged through the outlet 16.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: After the receptacle 1 has been filled with liquid to be cooled, for example water, and all air removed from the receptacle by allowing it to escape through the port or opening closed by the plug 4, and 1i uid refrigerant is admitted into the inner c amber formed by the shell 5 within the receptacle 1 through supply pipe means.14, the liquid refrigerant will yboil and vaporize, the vapors being discharged from the chamber made by the shell 5 through the outlet 16 which may lead to any suitable storage tank or ,com-y pressor wherein the vaporized" refrigerant may be reliqueed and turned back into the system for reuse. It is well understood that vaporization of a liquid causes a reduction in temperature and this reduction in temperature is transmitted tothe liquid within the receptacle 1 by conduction through the shell 5 of thed inner chamber. This cooling action forms a zone adjoining the shell 5in which the liquid bein cooled is in a supercooled condition or re uced to a temperature below the desired temperature. In case vwateris the liquid being cooled, the ortion of super-cooled Water may take the orm ofA an iceV cap 17 upon the outer surface of the inner chamber 5. The quantity vof liquid reduced to this super-cooled condition will 'dev will become quite large.

pend entirely upon the rate of iiow of liquid to be cooled through the apparatus.- For ex- 'I' ample, 1f only av small quantity of liquid isl being withdrawn and supplied to thev apparatus, the proportion of su er-cooled liquid or exam le, the ice cap 17 may acquire a thickness o two or three inches. It has been found, however,

that the transmission of heat through a super-cooled liquid is relatively slow and for i this reason the entire contents of the receptacle 1 will not be reduced to a super-cooled condition. Any increase in the quantityv of liquid being cooled, for example any ining cooled in addition to the heat being transl 'v mitted through the ice cap into the chamber 5 in which it is absorbed by the liquid refrigerant.

1n this manner it will 'be seen that the liquid being admitted and discharged from the receptacle 1 is cooled to a desired tem'- perature at a rate varying with the quantity of liquid being cooled. The character o'f the liquid refrigerant being supplied to the inner chamber 5 (or a plurality of such inner chambers) should be so regulated as to cause the refrigerant to super-'cool a' portion of the liquid when the quantity of liquidl to be cooled is small, but the liquid refrigerant should be of such character and capable of absorbing heat at such a rate that the transmission of heat from the liquid-being cooled to the refrigerant is insufficient to super-cool the liquid when a large quantity of liquid is being cooled. Furthermore, the formation of a super-cooled liquid (ice, when water is the liquid) may b'e said to form a reservoir of cold which is irst drawn upon when a large quantity of water is suddenly ypassed occur with frequency and by means cylindrical tank, a small tank within said cylindrical tank and welded to the inner side of one of the closed ends thereof, an opening in said closed end communicating with the interior' of said small tank, a closure for said openmg, and means for introducmg a liquefied refrigerant into said small tank through said closure. u l

2. In an apparatus for'cooling liquids, a cylindrical tank provided with closed ends for liquidl to be cooled, liquid inlet and outlet ports communicating with the interior of said cylindrical tank, a small tankv within said cylindrical tank and 'attached to one of the closed ends thereof, an opening in said closed end communicating with the interior of said small tank, a closure for said opening., and means for introducing a liquefied refrigerant into said small tank through saidclosure.

3. In anapparatus for cooling liquids, a cylindrical tank provided with closed ends for liquid to be cooled, liquid inlet and outylet ports communicating with the interior of saidv tank a small tank within said c lindrical tank and welded to the inside o one of the closed ends thereof, an opening in said closed end communicating with the interior of said small tank near the Wall thereof,

a second opening in said closed end leading to the interior of said small tank, a closure' member for said second opening, and valve means carried b` said closure member forl0 admittin lique ed refrigerants into said small tan Signed at Los Angeles, California, this th day of June, 1928.

\ OTTO F. BOYER.