US1991897A

US1991897A - Heating and cooling apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1991897A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1935-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 1952-02-19

Description

Feb. 19, 1935. D, H eg N's 1,991,897

HEATING AND COOLING APPARATUS Filed April 28,- 1952 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 28, 1932, Serial No. 607,911

2 Claim.

This invention relates to-the conditioning of -air and relates more particularly to apparatus for thecooling of air.

When warm air containing moisture passes a cooled surface, moisture from the air is precipitated upon the colled surface, if the surface has a temperature approaching that of the dew point of the air. For example, where a surface cooler is provided for cooling the air within'an enclosure, if the temperature of the surface cooler is maintained sufiiciently low, moisture precipitates upon the outside surfaces of the cooler and as the warm air continuously passes the cooler, this moisture accumulates and is undesirable.

An object of this invention is to cool air'while preventing the precipitation of moisture upon the outer surface of the cooling means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a surface cooler for the cooling of air with an outer casing which is insulated from the cooling means.

Another object of the invention is to prevent the condensation of moisture upon the outer surfaces of a surface cooler by providing insulating airbetween the outer surfaces and the cooling surfaces.

In one embodiment of this invention a surface cooler, comprising a plurality of extended surface tubes through which a chilling medium is circulated, is provided. For example, chilled water may be circulated from any convenient source through the cooling coils. As an alternative, the refrigerant from a refrigeration plant may be expanded directly in the coils. A fan is provided to blow the warm air of the enclosure, the air of which is to be cooled, over the extended surfaces of the cooling coils to provide a stream of cooled moving air. It has been found that when a casing is placed directly around the cooling surfaces of such a cooler, moisture from the air precipitates upon the outer surfaces of the casing under certain conditions andthis moisture is undesirable. It not only is unsightly in its appearance upon the casing, but if suitable provision is not made for its collection and disposal, it drips down into the space below the cooler.

According to a feature of this invention, the outer casing or housing of a surface cooler is spaced from a casing housing the cooling surfaces, and a current of the warm air drawn in by the fan is passed between the outer casing and thecasing housing the cooling surfaces, baflles, filters, and other associated apparatus. This warm air effectively insulates the outer enclosing surfaces 55 from the cooling efiect of the cooling surfaces .is supported, and which may be arranged with to prevent the outer surfaces from being chilled to a temperature low enough formoisture to be precipitated thereon by the warm air passing thereby. The fan associated with the surface cooler passes air to be cooled over the cooling 5 surfaces, which air passes into the enclosure, the air of which is to be cooled. The same fan passes a blanket of air substantially completely around the housing of the cooling surfaces and between this housing and the outer supporting casing, this latter air, of course, being warm air which serves as an air blanket to prevent the outer supporting casing from being chilled by the cooled air.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front view, with cover removed, of a surface cooler according to this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view along the lines- 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a projected view of an assembled surface cooler embodying this invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the tubes 5 are provided with the extended surfaces 6 which serve to increase the absorption surface of the cooling coils. The tubes 5 are interconnected and between the two ends 7 of the coil formed thereby, a cooling medium is circulated. 'The fan motor 8, which may be an electric motor, revolves the fan blades 9 to draw warm air from the rear, looking at Fig. 2, and to project same over the surfaces of the cooling coils. The housing 10 is provided for enclosing the cooling surfaces. Completely surrounding the housing 10 and spaced therefrom is the outer housing 11 by which the fan motor hangers for supporting the entire structure. This housing 11 is spaced from the inner housing 10 except for the supporting members 12 which may be provided at each of the four comers of the two housings.

In operation, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2, the warm air is drawn by the fan into the space within the housing 11. The major portion of this air passes between the tubes 5 and in contact with the tubes and the extended surfaces 6 provided thereon and is cooled by the removal of heat by the surfaces having a lower temperature, and a portion of the air passes in the space between the

housings

10 and 11. This latter air is not cooled to any appreciable extent by the action of the cooling surfaces so that this portion of the air acts effectively as an air blanket to prevent the outer housing 11 from being cooled to any substantial extent, With this arrangement, warm air continuously passes in the space separating the

housings

10 and 11 while cooled air passes continuously over the surfaces of the cooling coils.

Due to the action oi. the air blanket, the outer housing 11 cannot be cooled to a temperature suiliciently low to cause the precipitation of any moisture thereon from the air passing thereby.

Fig. 3 is a typical arrangement of a manufactured product embodying the invention. The arrangement is shown similar to the diagrammatic views of Figs. 1 and 2 except that the inner housing 10 is provided with the horizontal louvres 13 and the vertical louvres 14 which may be adjusted to deflect the cooled air in any manner desirable. V

While condensation does'not take place upon the outer surfaces of the housing 11, it is realized, of course, that condensation will take place within the housing 10. As is usual in surface coolers, this condensation may be disposed of by a drip outlet connected to the interior of the inner housing.

While it is preferred that the current of warm air produced by the fan associated with the cooler serves as the insulating blanket for preventing the chilling of the outer enclosing housing, it should be appreciated, of course, that the space between the inner and outer housing could be vfilled with an insulating material which would serve to prevent the extraction of heat from the outer housing by the action of the cooling surfaces.

While the invention has been described in connection with a cooler unit utilizing a fan blowing the air to be cooledover the cooling surfaces, it should be appreciated; of course, that the air circulating fan could be placed on the other end or the cooling surfaces to draw the warm air through the unit.

Whereas one embodiment of the invention has beendescribed for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details described as many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit oi the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An air cooler comprising an inner housing open at both ends, a plurality of horizontal cooling coils arranged crosswise the housing and supported therefrom, a second rectangular housing open at both ends surrounding and spaced from said housing, and a fan and a motor for driving same supported from said second housing and arranged to the rear of said coils for forcing air to be cooled over said coils and between said housings.

2. An air cooler comprising a rectangular outer housing, a substantially smaller rectangular inner housing placed within the front portion of said outer housing and in support therefrom, a plurality of horizontal cooling coils supported from said inner housing and arranged crosswise thereof, and a fan within the inner portion of said outer housing and supported therefrom for forcing air to be conditioned over said coils and between said inner and outer housings.

- DARRAGH LORING HIGGINS.