US2046666A - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1936. w, B. wHlTslTT AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March l1, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l NNN@ :filip July 7, 1935- w. B. wHlTslTT AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March ll,I 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 7, 1936. w. B. WHITSITT 046,666

AIRv CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March ll, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 7', 1936- w. B. wHlTslTT 2,046,666

AIR CONDITIONING AFPARATUS Filed March 11, 1952 5 shee'ts-sheet 4 July 7, 1936. W, B WH|TS|TT 2,046,666

y AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March ll, 1952 5 Shee'bS-Sheet 5 Syvum/vm Wm www.

Mjuzm Patented July 7, 1,9361

untreu srA'll-:s

PATENT' Torsion Ara CONDITIONING APPARATUS William B. Whitsitt, Baltimore, Md. Application March 11, 1932, serial No. 598,266

' 1o claims. (c1. ca -117) This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for condensing the heat laden vapor of a refrigerant used in a cooling system, such as an air conditioning system or other cooling system, to liquefy or condense the refrigerant for continued use, and particularly to a condensing method and apparatus especially designed and adapted for use in the air conditioning systems of railway passenger cars and the like. K

One object of the invention is to provide a condensing method and apparatus whereby and wherein the condenser containing the'refrigerant is subject to the cooling inuence of countercurrents of water and air in such manner as tosecure a maximum heat-exchange action withiz. a minimum period of time and a rapid condensation of the refrigerant.

Another object is to provide a condensing method and apparatus whereby a compact type of condensing apparatus may be used, which allows cooling water in small volume to be employed, and which effects the simultaneous cooling of the condenser and the water, whereby the water may be used over and over again and without previous cooling other than that effected by the condenser.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a condensing method and apparatus employing a novel countercurrent principle for effecting a heat-exchange action by the passage of a current of air in a diffused state upwardly through a 'fog-like atmosphere in the form of a descending current of water vapor of substantially uniform density, whereby a heat-exchange action of highest eiciency and great rapidity is obtained to eiect the condensation of the refrigerant in a minimum period of time and in greater volume than heretofore possible within a given period of time.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a condensing method and apparatus which by reason of its high eiiiciency and simplicity and compactness of the apparatus required `is 'particularly adapted for use in the air conditioning systems of passenger cars so as to permit a non-toxic volatile refrigerant to bel employed, with the advantage of enabling such refrigerant to be expanded iri and employed to directly cool the air cooling coil, and with the further advantage of materially reducing the number t working parts in such systems andthe cost of installing and maintaining the same in repair, as well as other substantial advantages, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction,

combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a railway car or coach showing the application of an apparatus embodying the invention thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. y

Fig. 3 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in vertical transverse section through the car shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the car showing the compressor and its driving motor and refrigerant and water circulating pipes beneath the car body and the combined cooling tower and refrigerant condenser at one end of the car.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section taken sub- Y,stantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the combined cooling tower and refrigerant condenser.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the* same.

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view of the combined cooling tower and refrigerant condenser.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the working parts of the apparatus.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section through the air cooling compartment of the car.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the car "I, of coach or other type, one of coach type being herein shown merely for purpose of exemplication, is provided with the doublesashed windows 2 which are designed to remain continuously closed while the air conditioning apparatus is in operation in order to prevent entrance of dust, soot, cinders and other foreign matter and contamina/tion of the conditioned air by any direct admixture of external air carrying such impurities therewith. Extending longitudinally at one side of the passenger space of the car is a `distributing duct 3 having air distributing outlets 4 at intervals in its length, through which duct and its outlets conditioned air from a conditioning compartment 5 is continuously supplied to the passenger space. This compartment 5 is preferably located at one end of the car in the half-deck or roof zone and is provided with a suitably controlled fresh-air inlet 6, and is in communication with the passenger space l through an air return grille 8, whereby the air may be continuously re-circulated between the passenger space and conditioning compartment and mixed with fresh air admitted through the inlet 6 wherever desired or required. If desired, a lter of suitable type may be employed to remove all foreign impurities frorn the fresh air entering through inlet 6. Manually-operated ventilators 9 may be provided at the side of the car opposite the duct 3 for ventilating purposes in case the air conditioning apparatus of the car should at any time become inoperative. In the compart- 5 ment 5 is a coil Ill, forming a surface cooler over which the air to be cooled and conditioned is passed, and which, in accordance with my present invention, is designed to be cooled by the expansion and heat-absorbing action therein of a vollO atile refrigerant. An air fan or drum II, driven by an electric motor I 2, draws air by suction 1 through the inlet 8 (and inlet 6 when openl at one side of the car into the compartment Sand circulating the air and 're-conditioning it as to 20 temperature and humidity the passenger-space 1 may be kept at any desirable temperature below outside atmospheric temperature, and by admitting fresh air when required through the inlet 6 the internal air may be kept in a wholesome' condition. `The distributing duct and coacting parts of the distributing mechanism are so constructed as to e'ect the circulation of the air in such manner as to avoid the creation of objectionable drafts. The parts so far described may comply generally in structure and arrangement with corresponding parts disclosed in my prior application led May 4, 1931, Serial No. 534,995,

or they may be of any other suitable equivalent structure and arrangement for combinative coaction with parts hereinafter described to secure the aforesaid advantages obtained by my invention. By arranging the air cooling compartment so that it extends transversely the major portion of the distance between the opposite sides of the car, instead of longitudinally of the car, provision is made for employing a cooling compartment of greater length and a cooling coil also of a greater length or of a greater number of coiled sections than is otherwise possible without extending such compartment inwardly and over the main passenger containing space of the car, while at the same time obtaining a longer range of travel of the air while it is being cooled by the cooler and a greater extent of cooling surface, so

that a larger amount of air may be cooled within the compartment during a given time period in the travel of the circulating air than is possible by the use of cooling compartments and coils of the character heretofore employed in air conditioning apparatus for cars.

My improved air conditioning apparatus yembodies, in additionto the above-described conditioning unit,v a refrigerant unit employing a non-toxic volatile refrigerant and comprising a refrigerant compressor I I', an electric motor I2' c for driving the same, a cooling tower or condenser chamber or casing I3 enclosing a refrigerant condenser comprising coils I4 and I5 for cooling the refrigerant condenser water and condensing the refrigerant, a pump I6 for circulating the cooling water, and a 4motor I1 for driving said pump, to-

gether with coacting parts, as hereinafter described, for carrying suoiooling and condensing actions into practical `Voperation.

The non-toxic refrigerant employed is preferably dichlorodifluoromethane, commercially known as F-12, which may be directly expanded in the air cooling coil I0 for cooling the same without liability of rendering the air toxic or otherwise injurious to human life or liability of causf v ing toxic eects or physical discomfort to passengers in the event of leakage of a greater or less quantity of the refrigerant from its circulatory system into the air stream due to ordinary causes or accidents. 5

The gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor II is forced thereby into a feed pipe I8, which extends therefrom tothe tower I 3 and upwardly through the bottom of the tower to a'cross pipe I9 connecting the upper ends of the refrigerant cooling and condensing coils I 4 and I5 contained therein, the refrigerant passing downwardly through said coils to a cross pipe 20 connecting the lower ends of the coils, from which the cooled and condensed or liqueed refrigerant ows 15 through a discharge pipe 2| to a float type of expansion valve 2,2. Thisiioat rvalve is located directly beneath the condenser casing or cooling tower and operates to vexpand the. liquid refrigerant, which is under a pressure of about 125 20 pounds, and to allow the expanded refrigerant to pass through a delivery or expansionpipe 23 to the cooling coil III.

The refrigerant in expanding and passing through the cooling coil I0 cools such coil to a 25v desired degree so as to eiect the cooling of the circulating air flowing over the surface of the coil to the desired degree, the expanded and heat laden refrigerant then being drawn by the action of the compressor II back to said compressor 30 through the suc ion pipe 24 and compressed again for delivery ough the pipe I8 to the refrigerant condense for re-liquefaction. The air flow! ing over the coil I0 and cooled to the desired degree is also re-dehumidied or deprived of a por- 35 tion of its moisture, and in such condition is delivered through the duct 3 into the passenger space of the car. Itl will thus be seen that the refrigerant or air cooling medium is directly expanded into the cooling coil I 0 for a cooling action thereon, and is then returned to thecompressor and re-compressed and to the condenser and is re-condensed, .and this cycle of action is uniformly continuous as long as the motor I2' is driving thecompressor II and the action of said compressor is not stopped or otherwise modined or interfered with. Connected to a water chamber in the bottom of the condenser cooling tower I3 is a pipe 26'having a controlling and cut-off valve 21 therein which leads to the cooling jacket of the compressor II', which in.turn is connected by means of a pipe 28 having a controlling and cut-off valve 29 therein-with the water circulating pump I6, whereby, if desired, water may be circulated through such pipes and the cooling jacket of the compressor to keep the compressor cool. The use of these pipes 26 and 2 8 is, however, optional and may in vmany cases be dispensed with, since in the use of the nontoxicrefrigerant, such as F-12 with a water'60 cooled condenser of the novel typenherein disclosed, the usual operating head pressure is reduced to about pounds, and the corresponding operating temperature is reduced to about F., so that the use of ycooling water in the c5 compressor jacket is not essential.

Entering the cooling tower, at a point about midway of its height, is a water feed vpipe 39 through which water is forced from the pump I6 to a distributingpipe 3| which conducts it to-7o spray nozzles 32, having openings for discharging small fan-like jets of water at diierent levels in a nely atomized condition over the refrigerant condensing pipes or coils I4 and I5, which jets commingle to form a dense, fog-like cooling cur- 75 rent of atomized water traveling downward in the condenser chamber. Located at one side of the cooling tower adjacent the bottom thereof is an air inlet 33 provided with screen baiiles 34, through which inlet air is drawn by a suction and discharge fan 35, mounted in the top of the tower, for upward travel from said inlet to the top of the tower and finally out through a discharge outlet 36. The function'of these baflies 34 is to ilter out foreign particles traveling with the air and to reduce the velocity of the air to a suitable degree and to divide the air into a multiplicity of streams, whereby the air is caused to enter the tower in a diffused state instead of in a concentrated state or in the form of a blast. This air in its upward travel comes in contact with the highly atomized spray water delivered from the spray nozzles and rapidly cools the water particles by direct contact therewith and, in flowing upward over the vsurfaces of the condenser coils I4 and I5, causes the water particles on the surfaces of said coils to evaporate, thereby eiecting a rapid cooling and liquefaction of the refrigerant in the coils. The air after passing through the water current of atomized water flows through a suitable type of eliminator .31, which acts as a baille to check and prevent unduly rapid upward iiow of the air and removes any moisture contained in the air which flows back into the water supply chamber at the bottom of the tower. An electrical motor 38 disposed in the top of the tower drives the fan 35. It will thus be seen that the cooling tower condenser I3 serves the double purpose of cooling and liquefying the refrigerant in the condensingv coils I4 and I5. and` at the same time cools the water employed for the coil cooling action, thus entirely doing away with the necessity of using a separate and independent pump, motor, brine tank, cooling coils and associated piping for cooling brine or fresh water to be used to cool the condenser coil and also for cooling and supplying brine or water to cool the air cooling coil I0, such as are necessary where anhydrous ammonia, for example, is employed as a primary refrigerant to cool water or brine which is to be used to cool the coil I0 in place of the direct use of ammonia, in order to avoid its dangerous use as a direct cooling agent for the air cooling coil.

A float valve 39, located at the bottom of the condenser cooling tower, is provided to maintain a consta-nt water level in the water chamber at the bottom/of such tower in order to constantly provide the necessary suction head to the circulating pump IS supplied with water therefrom through pipe 4I. .This water is supplied from a storage tank or reservoir. 40 suitably supported adjacent the tower at the end of the car through a valved pipe connection 4 I leading to said water chamber.

The types of air conditioning apparatus here- I tofore used for air conditioning the passenger space of a passenger vehicle have generally been designed to employ ice as a primary refrigerant or anhydrous ammonia or other toxic primary refrigerant operating at comparatively high temp cratures and pressures. As ice as used can not be directly employed for cooling the air cooler and as such toxic refrigerant can not be directly expanded for the air conditioning etect in the air cooler, because of the possibility of its leakage into the circulating air stream, with liability of danger to the occupants of `the vehicle, it has been necessary in both cases to use the primary refrigerant to directly orl indirectly cool a secondary refrigerant, such as water, which is circulated through a circulatory system including the cooling coil to temperature the latter for the air cooling action. These types of apparatus, therefore, require the use of complex piping in addition to separate means for circulating the cooling water and primary refrigerant and in the case of a volatile refrigerant means for cooling the latter, and also requires a lengthy course of travel for the cooling water and the location of the condenser employed in a volatile refrigerant system as well as the driving motor; the pumps, and the compressor on the underside of the vehicle, where they are exposed to the action of the elements and liability of damage by contact with extraneous objects. Furthermore, such indirect types of apparatus are costly in construction, operation and maintenance, because of the number of units employed, and the relatively intense refrigerating effect produced by the character of refrigerant used in systems using a.vola tile refrigerant, renders such a systemA difficult to control in order to prevent-undue cooling of the air, sovthat a complex system of control devices must be employed to regulate the working operation of the working parts to produce constantly uniform cooling and conditioning actions.

In prior systems of this character it has also been necessary, because of the large number of working parts to be driven, to employ an electric generator of at least 121/2 H. P., to furnish the amount of current necessary for power purposes,

and such generators have been ineffective for service action unless the train is running at a speed of twenty-ve miles or more per hour and, for this and other reasons, such generators are incapable of furnishing suiiicient current for storage to enable the working parts of the air conditioning system to be driven when the train is standing ina yard or at stations, so that the efciency of the air conditioning system is greatly impaired and reduced and greater work thrown upon the system when the train is running than .would otherwise be the case.

-cooling and condensing means to be compactly disposed within the vehicle outside the course of circulation of the circulating air but close to the conditioning compartment, with the result of reducing' liability of leakage of any of the refrigerant into the ycirculating air as well as reducing co the extent .of travel of the liquefied refrigerant so as to secure maximum eiilciency of action thereof and other advantages.

The direct use of a non-toxic volatile refrigerant in a reliable, economical and eflicient manner, however, involves certain problems requiring satisfactory solution, to wit, not only the selection of a refrigerant having the dual requisites of being of harmless character and capable of being operated at a low operating head pressure and a low operating temperature, which are factors of importance not only in securing a highly efllcient condenser cooling action in a simple and compact structure, but also in providing condensing means for securing 'such a coordination in the actions 75 posed. within jthe vehicle and preferably in close -proximity to the conditioning compartment. The

desirability for such highly eicient separate and conjoint cooling actions and cooling coactions will be readily evidentfrom the fact that, because of the large size of passenger vehicles used in this countryand the widely varying outside atmos- V pheric temperatures met in the travel of a train,

" therethrough must be obtained, which is securedas Well as' the necessity of vtaking care of internal temperature'` modifying conditions, as in a dining car,.the cooling 'means must be adequate to cool the large volume of lcirculating air in the vehicle and the condenser'action must be correspondingly adequate to properly condition the refrigerant in its cycle of operation, which have required a' ncvel and peculiar construction, proportioning and working coactionv of the parts in order to meet these working requirements and to enable the majority 'of working parts to be disposed inside the vehicle.

Because of its noted properties AI have found dichlorodiuoromethane (F-l2) to be a satisfactory non-toxic volatile refrigerant, although possibly others may be used without alteration, or by slight alteration, of the mechanism employed. In order to obtain the most efficient use of this refrigerant, with proper regard to its heat-absorbing properties, I preferably dispose the air cooling coil I0 in a compartment 5 which extends transversely of the car,A that is, has its inlet at one side of the car and its outlet at the opposite side ofthe car, so that a cooling coil of larger cooling area may be ulsed and a longer range of travel of air in contact therewith secured within the restricted space available in the ve,- hicle and without encroaching upon the head space of the passenger compartment or undesirfined space withinnthe car available for that pur-A pose, which location of the condenser is desirable under many conditions, the condenser necessarilyv must be of restricted size, and therefore, andfor the purpose of conserving cooling water, a highly eicient condensing action thereof is essential so that it may handle the comparatively large volurne of compressed heat-laden vapor passing thereto from the comparatively large sized cooling coil. A most effective heat-transfer action between the condenser coils, condenser cooling water and the cooling current of air passing by a novel construction and arrangement of parts and heat-exchange action between the condenser coils, cooling water and cooling air current in the following manner. It will be observed that by the arrangement of the jet devices 32 at different levels the iinely atomized streams of water pro-v jected therefrom will be distributed over a wide area within the condensing chamber and com- 2,o4e,cee

i mingled so as to form a bodyfor column 6i nely 1 divided'water particles or fog like atmosphere which, through the force of gravity, travels downward in the condenser chamber toward the waterv collecting chamber at the bottomof the tower. 5 Through this descending column of iinely atomized vwater travels the stream of air drawn by the suction of the. fanL `through the air inlets 33. The baiiles 34 at this point operate to divide up the air stream into finer streams and act as retarders to prevent too rapid inrush ofj the vair and to diffuse the air as it enters throughout the entire area of the chamber. This body or column of air in its travel upwardly throughthe descending column of atomized water acts to check the downflow of Jthe water particles, ,so that the very minute streams of air in traveling upward come in contact with all sides or all portions of the water particles for a heat exchange action. The upward travel of the, air drawn by the suction ,fan through the water vapor body composed of commingled streams of atomized water in the `condensing chamber is further retarded by the actionof the separator baiiles 31, so that any forcible upward rush of the air through the cooling water vapor, or travel of the air in concentrated form or great velocity, is fiu'ther prevented and the body of air caused to ow in a diffused condition upwardly at an even and regulated rate of travel before discharging through the outlet 30 36. By reason of the fact that the descending particles of water are caused in this manner to meet upiowing streams of a body or current of diiused air moving at an even and regulated rate of speed, the vwater particles are held in a 35 state of suspension long enough to increase their time period of contact with the air and an agitation oi' the water particles is caused due to their tendency to be carried up by the air and tend-f ency to fall by gravity, so that a sort of washing 40 action is instituted through a time period of con- .tact which ensures a maximum degree of heat exchange action between the two fluids, whereby the cooling water is cooled to the highest possible degree. This prolonged time period of contact between the water and air occurs through the entire effective height of the ondensing chamber utilized for the cooling action, giving such a lengthy period of travel and intimacy of contact of the cooling elements that the highest possible degree of cooling action of the air on the water is obtained, such as would be impossible under other than a countercurrent action. As the air in its upward travel fiows along the surfaces of the coils in contact with the water flowing down over the coils a direct cooling eil'ect on the coilsv is caused by evaporation of the water so that a rapid and intensified heat exchange action is obtained. By employing a counter-current cooling action of the air and water in the manner de- 60 scribed, and by discharging streams of the water at different levels, so as to create successively coolingl zones through which the air passes, whereby the cooling 4action is still further increased, it is possible to furnish a condenser G5 which isr sufficiently small and compact to be-y mounted within the car above the floor level and l which has such a degree of cooling emciency as ensured, as, under a suction draw of the cooling compartment which can be made of large cooling area by reason of the transverse arrangement of the compartment, and by constructing a water and air cooled condenser in the manner set forth, a proper coordination Vor rationing between the heat absorbing action of the surface cooler and the condenser cooling action of thewater cooled condenser may be obtained whereby a safe refrigerant directly, expanded into the coil may be utilized in a highly efficient manner to condition the large volume of air required for satisfactorily conditioning the passenger space of the vehicle under any and` all service conditions;

The eiiiciency of this condenser in combination with the associatedelements of the conditioning system is such that during cool or cold weather a current of outside air alone may be used as the cooling medium, while during Vwarm and hot weather and in warm climates generally resort may be made to the counter-current air and water method of cooling, rendering the condenser suitable for use in all climatic zones and in all seasons ofthe year in any climatic zone.' Also because' of the simplified construction and greatly reducednumber of parts employed in this system made possible by the efficiency of the condensing means employed it is possible to electrically drive the working parts at a total amperage consumption of at35 volts, or about 7 H. P., or about one half that required in any other system, with the advantage that the system can be operated from the generator when the car speed is below 25 miles per hourand suiiicient current is supplied by the generator to operate the air conditionirg system from the battery on the car when the car is standing still in a yard or at stations,

thus allowing a, car to be pre-cooled before the train starts and the system to be kept in operaation at stopping points, which is not possible with other systems.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that as the course of ow of both the refrigerant and the cooling water is short, as compared with prior systems, a less amount of each is required, ,with a further reduction in piping and increased eiiiciency of action. -Furthermore, conservation of the cooling water supply is also air instead of a pressure blast action thereof, the retarding effect of the baiiles 31 is sufficientv to prevent the discharge of any material amount of water with Vthe outgoing air from then condenser, so that the same-water may be used over and over again, with'r but slight'replenishments from time to time, an important consideration in view of the limited space allowed for the carriage of supply water on a car. I

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, my improved method and apparatus forcondensing the refrigerant used in apparatusfor conditioning air for passenger cars and the like will be readily understood, and it will be seen that the invention provides a method and apparatus for this purpose which is of extremelyv simple character and permits of the use of a non-toxic refrigerant as a direct medium for cooling the air cooling coil, without liability of physical discomfort or'danger -to the occupants of the vehicle in case of ordinary leakage or accidents causing vent or evaporation of a greater or less quantity of the refrigerant directly into the car atmosphere, and which enables simplification of method and apparatus to be obtained and the number-of parts reduced so as to considerably decrease the cost of instalvthe compartment and over the surfaces of the the inlet side of the compartment will be prepartment from the inlet side thereof. By this means the traveling current of air is better diffused and caused to flow more uniformly through l5 cooling coil, without being under high pressure in suclr travel and while it is being cooled, so that back-lash of the air, such as would be caused byv a concentrated blastfrom a force fan located at 20 vented, and the pressure of theI air, instead of being checked and reduced by the coil, as in the case of the use of such as force fan, will be maintained substantially constant until the air reaches the outlet side of the compartment, at which time 25 the cooled air will be expelled under a positive force pressure out into the duct leading to the passenger space of the car, so that a more positive and reliable circulation of the air will e ensured. The simplicity of the structure and relatively 30 small number of parts employed adapts he working parts to be driven by the electrical supply equipment of a passenger car with greater surety vof continuous action and without danger of overloading.

What I claim is:

1. In an air conditioning apparatus for pagenger vehicles having a passenger compartment, an air conditioning compartment, means for circulating air between said compartments, an air conditioning system employing a non-toxic volatile refrigerant condensible at a low operating head pressure and temperature and including an air cooling coil in the conditioning compartment in which the refrigerant is directly expanded ,to effectthe cooling of the air in said chamber, a compressor for compressing the heat laden vapor resulting from the expansion ofthe refrigerant in said coil, and a condenser for liquefying the refrigerant for reuse in the coil, the said condenser comprising a chamber, a. condensing coil enclosed in said chamber, means for producing and subjecting the condensing coil in the chamber tol-the cooling action of a cooling atmosphere of substantially uniform Adensity formed by commingled sprays of water in a finely atomized state traveling as a, current downwardly in the chamber and over the surface of the condenser coil, suction means for producing in s'aid chamber a cooling countercurrent of air and drawing the 60 same upwardly in contact-with the condensing coil and throughout the current of atomized water, and governing means for diffusing the air and controlling its rate of speed so as to cause an intimate intermingling of the particles of air and 65 water and a suspension of the water particles in the air and to retard the downilow of the atomized water current whereby to obtain a maximum heat exchange action within a predetermined minimum period of time to effect a simultaneous 70 cooling of the water and the condensing coil.y

l' ditioning system-employingfa 4non-toxic 'volatile 'refrigerantfcondensible at a-low operating: pressure-'andtemperatureand including an air cool-v ingcoilinfthe conditioning compartment in which the refrigerant-is directly expanded to ee'ct the @cooling of the fair insaid chamber, a compressor f-.iror compressing the heatladen vapor resulting lfrom the expansion of the'refrigerant in saidv coil, `and `a condenser {for Aliquefying the'refrigerant forrvreuse vintheicoil, 'said condenser comprising a water tower, a condensing. coil enclosed therein,v

and'nieans for producing and subjecting the condensingcoil-in the tower to the eoolingaction of'a downwardly traveling current of water in 'a nely atomized state and a suction drawn l countercurrent of diffused air passing upwardly ythrough said atomized water current.

3. In an airconditioningfapparatus for passenger vehicles having a passenger compartment, an air conditioningcompartment, means for circulating air between said compartments, an air conditioning system employing aA non-toxic volatile vrefrigerant condensibley at a low pressure and temperature and including an air cooling coil in the conditioning compartment in which the refrigerant is directly expanded to effectlthe cooling of the air in said chamber, a compressor for --compressing the'heat laden vapor resulting from the. expansion of the refrigerant in said coil, and

a condenser ,for liquefying the refrigerant for reuse in the coil, the said condenser comprisingl a chamber having an air inlet at or near itsb`oty tom and an-air outlet at or near its top, a condensing coill disposed inV saidj chamber, means within the chamber .for producing a cooling atmosphere of water in a nely atomized state traveling as a current downwardly therein and over the surface of the condensing coil, a suction device at the top of the chamber for drawing a countercurrent of` air through the air`inlet. and

' upwardly inthe chamber in contact with .the condensing ,coil and through and in intimate contact with the `particlesof the atomized water,

bai'lles at the air inlet for dividing the entering air into a plurality of streams so that the entered air on Lcommingling Vwilly be drawn upwardly` through thedescending atomized water current in a diffused state, and baiiies at the top of the chamber between the condenser and suction deditioning compartment Vin which the refrigeranty is expanded to effect the cooling ofthe air in said chamber, a compressor for compressingfthe heat laden vapor resulting from the expansion of the refrigerant in said coil, and a condenser for liquefying the refrigerant `for reuse in the coil, said condenser comprising a water tower,` a con-- densing coil enclosed therein, and means for producing'and subjecting the condensing coil in the "tower to the cooling action of a downwardlytraveling 'current of water ina nely atomized diffused air passing state'and a suction drawn countercurrent of upwardly through said atomized water current. y j 5. An apparatus for condensing the: vapor of water towercontainin'g tliefcondeuserI andVr having van'air inlet'at'or' near; its bottom and an vair outlet [at or neary its top, waterinj'ecting ,meansy withinV the tower 'for producing a ,uniform atmosphereof highly latomized 'water travelingas y.a current downwardlytherein :andfover the slurfaceof r the condenser', a suctiondeviceat.thetop of the `tower air inlet and upwardly'fin the towerin contact with the condenser and directly l througl'iv the atomized water current, `baiilesat thefair inletof the tower fordiifusing the ,enteringainr and baiiles in the top of the tower between the condenser and' suction device for retarding and controlling -the speed of travel of the air through the atomized water current and straining moisture from the air.

6. An apparatus for condensing a refrigerant comprising a water tower. having -an air inlet Yat i or near its bottom and an air outlet at or near 205 its top, a condenser kdisposed therein and embody" ing horizontally spaced vertical coils located vat opposite sides of the tower, a water spraying means located in the tower inthe space between for drawinga ycoun'tercurrent, of airthrough, lthe the coils and embodying a plurality of injectors 25 arranged at di'erent levels for injecting into said space sprays of water` in ahighly atomized state so as to commingle and form a cooling current traveling`downwardly in the tower about and over the surfaces of the condenser coils and di- 30 rectly upward through the atomized water current. baiiies at the air inlet of vthe tower for diffusing the enteriugair, and baiiies at the top of the tower between the condenser and suction device for retarding and controlling the speed of 35 travel of the air through the atomized water cur- Y rent and strainingmoisture from the air.

7. An apparatus for condensing a refrigerant used in a cooling system, comprising a water tower having a horizontal transversev air inlet located in one side thereof at or near its bottom and having a horizontal transverse air outlet located in saidside at or near its top, a condenser disposed 'in the tower, means for projecting sprays of highly atomized water at different levels in the height of the tower so as' to commingle and form a cooling current traveling downwardly about and over the surfaces of the condenser, asuction device at the top ofthe tower for drawing a counltercurrentof air throughvsaid air inlet and about and in I`contact with the surfaces of the condenseiand directly upwardJ through the atomized water current, a pluralityof vertically spaced bailles at the airinlet of the tower for diffusing the indrawn air, and a plurality of horizontally spaced baiiies at the air outlet ofthe tower forretarding andv controlling thespeed of travel ofthe air through the ,atomized water current and straining mois-` ture from theh air;

8. -An apparatusfor condensing a refrigerant 00 comprising a condenser, a water tower containing the condenser and having an air inlet at or `near its bottom and an air outlet at or nearv its top, a plurality of injectors arrangedwithin the tower at diierent levels for projecting therein 66 sprays of highly atomized watercommingling to form a current of atomized water traveling downwardj over the surfaces of the condenser, a suction device at the topof the tower for drawing a countercurrent-of air throughthe air inlet-and'in 70 contact with the surfacesof' the condenserfand directlythrough the atomized water current,lbaf fies at the air inlet of the tower for entering air,v and baies atfthe air outlet of the diffusing the tower for retarding and controlling the speed of 'I5 10. In an air conditioning apparatus for passenger vehicles having a passenger compartment, an air conditioning compartment, means for circulating air between said compartments, an air conditioning system employing a volatile refrigerant and including an air cooling coil in the conditioning compartment in which the refrigerant is expanded to effect the cooling of the air in said chamber, a compressor for compressing the heat laden vapor resulting from the expansion of the refrigerant in said coil, and a. condenser for liquefying the refrigerant for reuse in the coil, said condenser comprising a water chamber, a condensing coil enclosed therein, means for producing and subjecting the condensing coil in the chamber to the cooling action of air, and means for producing and subjecting the condensing coil in the chamber to the cooling action of adownwardly traveling current of water in a nely atomized state.

WILLIAM B. WHITSITI. 15

Images