US2096075A

US2096075A - Refrigeration apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2096075A
Application number: US752402A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert H Tull; Elo C Tanner
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1934-11-10
Filing date: 1934-11-10
Publication date: 1937-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1954-10-19

Description

Oct. 19, 1937. R, H, T LL T 'A 2,096,075

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Nov. '10, 1934 FIG=.I.

WITNESSES:

INVENTORS ROBERT H. TULL. a-nJ E o C. Tan/v23.

ATTOR Patented Oct. 19, 1937 PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Robert H. Tull and E10 0. Tanner, Springfield, Masst, assignors to Westinghouse Electric.& Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 10, 1934, Serial No. 752,402

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to refrigeration apparatus, particularly to the construction of the evaporator and its associated elements.

It is an object of our invention to provide an 5 improved evaporator construction and to connect the evaporator with its associated elements to secure improved performance and efficiency.

This and other objects are effected by our invention, as will be apparent from the following 10 description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view, of a beverage cooling refrigerator constructed in accordance with the 15 invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the cooling element shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the cooling element.

Referring specifically to the drawing for a detailed description of the invention, numeral I designates a refrigerator cabinet in this instance for wet cooling and storage of bottled beverages. The cabinet I is divided into an apparatus com- 25 partment 2 and a cooling compartment 3, preferably suitable for containing a body of liquid,

such as water. A movable closure 4 is provided for obtaining access to the cooling compartment 3.

A hermetically sealed refrigerating unit is associated with the cabinet I and comprises, generally, a cooling element 5, a hermetically sealed motor-compressor set 6, a condenser 1, a fan 8 and a sealed float-operated valve mechanism 9 in a container II. The cooling element 5 is dis- 3 posed in the cooling compartment 3, while the rest of the apparatus is disposed, preferably, in the apparatus compartment 2.

, In operation, refrigerant vapor is withdrawn from the cooling element 5 through a conduit I2 40 by the suction of the motor-compressor unit 6 and, after being compressed, is conveyed to condenser through a conduit I3, where the compressed vapor is liquefied. Liquid refrigerant is supplied to the cooling element 5 through a con- 45 duit I4 from the float operated valve 9 in response to the level of liquid refrigerant in the.

container II, the refrigerant being conveyed to the container I I from condenser I through aconduit I5. The conduits I2 and I4 are preferably 50 flexible and extend from the apparatus compartment 2, up the side of the cabinet and through an opening I6 in the top of the cooling compartment 3 to connect with the cooling element 5. It is readily seen that the refrigerating mech- 55 anism may be completely assembled and sealed,

and then removed ,or replaced in the cabinet without breaking the conduit connections. I

In some applications, as-heretofore stated, it is desirable to utilize a continuous or once-through coil type cooling element, because it is flexible as to size and shape and requires less refrigerant charge than the conventional flooded evaporator of the same capacity. The cooling element 5 comprises a continuous coil of conduit I1, connected at both ends with a surge chamber I8 to prevent surges of liquid from entering outlet conduit I2. The refrigerant inlet conduit I4 extends through the surge chamber I8 into the inlet end I9 of the cooling element conduit H. A plug 2i prevents liquid refrigerant from entering the surge chamber I8 before it has traversed the conduit II. The outlet 22 of the cooling element conduit discharges vapors into the surge chamber I8, from which the vapor is withdrawn through outlet conduit I2 which also connects with the surge chamber I8.

The inlet conduit I4 is 'of small diameter, while the outlet conduit I2 is of larger diameter and encloses the inlet conduit I4. By making the diameter of the inlet conduit small, the refrigerant does not expand appreciably until it reaches the cooling element 5. By disposing the inlet conduit I4 within the outlet conduit I2 in heat exchange relation with the cold refrigerant vapor therein, expansion in the inlet conduit I4 is further inhibited. The efliciency of the entire system is, therefore, increased, because practically all the expansion of liquid refrigerant occurs in the cooling element 5. Furthermore, the heat exchanger for cooling the inlet liquid improves the efficiency of the system. In addition, condensation of moisture from the atmosphere, resulting in dripping of the inlet conduit I4, is prevented by the novel construction and arrangement of the inlet and outlet conduits which raises the dew point of those portions of the conduits J exposedto the atmosphere outside the cooling compartment.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that we have provided a hermetically" sealed refriger ating system which is eflicient and which is easily removed and replaced in a refrigerator cabinet. Furthermore, we have reduced or prevented dripping from the outside conduit connections of the system, even though the distributing device for liquid refrigerant is disposed a considerable distance from the cooling element.

We do not wish to be limited to a float operated valve in the system unlessspecifically set forth in the claims since other-forms of distributing devices may be utilized in practicing some parts of our invention. Furthermore, we do not wish to be limited to compression types of refrigeration apparatus unless specifically set 5 forth in the claims, since other types of refrigerating apparatus may be utilized in practicing our invention.

While we have shown our invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in m the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as areimposed by the prior i5 art'or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is: 1. In a refrigerating system, the combination of a compartment to be cooled, a cooling element I 20 in said compartment having a refrigerant inlet and outlet, a compressor having a refrigerant inlet and outlet, a condenser having a refrigerant inlet and outlet, a conduit connecting the outlet of the cooling element with the inlet ,of the 25 compressor, a second conduit for conveying liquid refrigerant from the outlet of the condenser to the inlet of the cooling element, and means located in said second conduit for controlling the flow of liquid refrigerant to the cooling element,

0 the portion of said second conduit between said controlling means and said cooling element being of reduced flow area to retard the expansion of liquid refrigerant beforereaching the cooling element and being located in heat exchanging relation with the said first conduit connecting the outlet of the coolingelement with the inlet of the compressor, said flow control means and portions of both of said conduits being disposed outside of said compartment to be cooled.

2. Inrefrigeration apparatus, the combination of a cooling element, means for removing refrigerant vapor from said cooling element and for liquefying said vapor, a flow control valve for controlling the admission of refrigerant to said cooling element and for substantially preventing back flow of refrigerant from said cooling, ele-. ment, a flow restricting conduit connecting said flow control valve and the coolingelement to retard the expansion of liquid refrigerant before .31) reaching said cooling element, and an outlet conduit connecting said cooling element and said wfirst means, said flow restricting conduit and said outlet conduit being arranged in heat exchange relation with each other.

.25 3. In refrigeration apparatus, the combination of a cooling element, means for removing refrigerant vapor from said cooling element and for liquefying said vapor, a float-operated means for controlling the flow of liquid refrigerant from said first means to the cooling element, a'flow restricting conduit connecting the float-operated means and the cooling element to maintain liquid refrigerant in said flow restricting conduit, and an outlet conduit connecting said cooling element andsaid first means, said flow restricting conduit and outlet conduit being arranged in heat exchange relation-with each other.

4. In refrigeration apparatus, the combination of a cooling element, means for removing refrigerant vapor from said cooling element and for liquefying said vapor. an outlet conduit con-- necting said cooling element and said means, an

inlet conduit from said means, to said coolingelement and float-operated means in said inlet conduit for controlling the flow of refrigerant from said means to said coolingelement, the portion of said inlet conduit between said floatoperated means and said cooling element being of reduced flow area and substantial length to retard expansion of the liquid refrigerant before reaching the cooling element and being disposed in heat exchange relation with said outlet conduit.

5. In refrigeration apparatus, the combination of a cooling element, a compressor, a condenser, I

an outlet conduit from said cooling element con,- necting with said compressor for conveying cold refrigerant vapor to the compressor, a float-operated valve for controlling the flow of liquid refrigerant from said condenser to said cooling element, and a flow restricting conduit connecting said float-operated valve and said cooling element, said flow restricting conduit being of sufficient restriction to maintain liquid therein at a higher temperature than the refrigerant in said outletconduit, said flow restricting conduit and said outlet conduit being disposed in heat ex-' change relation, whereby the liquid in the flow restricting conduit is cooled by the refrigerant vapor in the outlet conduit. 5

6. In a refrigerating system, the combination of aonce through continuous evaporator c0il, a compressor, a condenser, a surge chamber located at and communicating with the outlet end of the evaporating coil, a conduit-connecting the surge chamber with the inlet of the. compressor, a con-' duit for conveying liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the inlet end ofthe evaporator coil,

said last-mentioned conduit extending through the surge chamber and into the inlet end of the evaporator coil, means for preventing refrigerant from entering the surge chamber until it has passed completely through -the -evaporator coiland means located in said conduit for controlling the fiow of liquid refrigerant to the evaporator coil.

ROBERT H. TULL. ELO C. TANNER.