US2096112A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 19, 1937.

D. L. KAUFMAN 2,096,112

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 31, 1932 Patented Oct. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATHVG APPARATII IS Daniel L. Kaufman. Dayton, Ohio, asslgnor, by

mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application March 31,

' 9 Claims.

automatic water control valvesfor water cooled condensers. The invention however, is not limited to such a use, b'ut it is capable of wide general application wherever it is desiredto control the flow of fluids automatically.

In refrigerating apparatus employing a water or liquid cooled condenser, it has been found de- 10 sirable to control the flow of water to the condensing means according to the condenser pressure, that is when the condenser pressure drops below a certain predetermined amount, the flow of water to the condenser is cut off, while, when the condenser pressure increases above the predetermined amount, the water control valve is opened to permit the water to flow through the condenser to reduce the condenser pressure. A

simple valve of this type has been found satisfac- -tory where the capacity of the compressor and the temperature of the water remains the same. However, when the capacity of the compressor is changed or a different size compressor is used with the same control valve and the same condenser, such a valve has been found to be unsatisfactory. Such a valve has also been found to be unsatisfactory where the temperature of the cooling water fluctuates to'an appreciable'extent from season to season. There have been attempts to provide an, adjustment for the valve bychanging the tension of the valve spring or by changing the valve spring itself. This has been foundto be unsatisfactory since when the spring is changed or the tension is changed, the

valve fails to open at the desired predetermined pressure and fails to provide the proper amount of water at different condenser or head pressures.

Consequently the objects of my invention include the providing of an improved automatic control valve having means for adjusting the flow of fluid through the valve while maintaining the predetermined opening and closing points of the valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic control valve having a means for metering the flow of water when the valve is open.

A further object of the invention is to provide 50 a means for adjusting said metering means without affecting the opening and the closing of the valve.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following de- 55 scription,'reference being had to the accompany- 1932, Serial No. 002,286

ing drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticillustrationof a refrigerating system including a water cooled condenser together with a sectional view of my improved water control valve operatively connected to the system, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the metering pin of my water control valve.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown for the purpose of illustrating my invention, a refrigerating system of the compression type including a compressor 20 for compressing therefrigerant and for forwarding the compressed refrigerant through the supply conduit 2| to a water cooled condenser 22 containing a condenser coil 23 where the compressed refrigerant is liquefied and forwarded through a second supply conduit 24 to a refrigerant evaporator 25, shown as an evaporator of the float controlled type. The liquid refrigerant within the evaporator 25 vaporizes because of the absorption of heat and is returned to the compressor through the return conduit 26. The compressor 20 is driven by an electric motor 21 through pulley and belt means 28. The operation of the electric motor is controlled by means of a pressure responsive" snap acting switch 29 which is actuated by the bellows 30 connected by a conduit 3| to the return conduit 26 of the refrigerating system. The water for cooling the water'cooled condenser 22 is supplied to the conduit 33 from the external source to the water control-valve 34 which controls the flow ofwater' through the conduit 35 to the. condenser 22 from which the water is discharged through discharge conduit 36.

The water control valve 34 has a valve body provided with a straining. chamber 31, an intermediate chamber 38 and a valve chamber 39. The water supplied by the water supply conduit 33 enters the. filtering chamber 31 through the threaded opening 4|. Within the filtering chamber 31 there is provided a fine screen 42 of a cylindrical shape which surrounds a hollow filter plug 43 which is threaded into the valve body and extends from top' to bottom of the straining chamber 31. The straining plug has a plurality of vertical slots 44 in its walls adjacent the straining screen 42. The slots 44 permit the water to flow from the chamber 31 through the filtering screen 42 into the water passage 45 within the straining plug 43 which is closed at the upper end and which discharges or opens into the hori-' zontal intermediate chamber 38. 1

At the opposite side of the horizontal intermediate chamber 38 there is provided an orifice 41 within a flange which is provided with a valve seat 48 on its upper face. Within the valve chamber 39 there is provided a generally cylindrical valve member 50 which has an annular insert at its lower end adapted to rest upon and engage the valve seat' 48 when in'its closed position. The valve member 50 is provided with valve guides 52 in the form of lugs which guide the Valve member 50 vertically by engaging the cylindrical walls of the valve chamber 39. vA set screw or similar means, not shown, extends between the valve guides 52 for preventing the rotation of the valve member 50. A thin cylindrical wall 53 extends upwardly from the lower portion of the valve member 50 and has a closed upper end 54 provided with a threaded aperture 55 which receives the upper threaded shank 56 of a calibrated metering needle or pin 51 which I extends within the orifice 41.

Surrounding the thin cylindrical wall 53 of the upper portion of the valve member 50 is a valve spring 58 which has its lower end resting upon a shoulder 59 at the lower portion of the valve member and which has its upper end resting against a threaded adjusting plug 60 which surrounds the upper end of the valve member 50. By screwing the threaded adjusting plug 60 within the upper threaded wall of the valve chamber 39, the tension of the valve spring 58 may bevaried.

Within the valve member 50 there is provided a smaller coil spring 6| which surrounds the shank 56 of the metering pin 51' and has its upper end resting against the closed end 54 of the valve member 50 and its lower end resting against the packing ring 63 which holds the packing 64 against the inner cylindrical Walls of I the valve member 50 to prevent the water from leaking past the metering pin into the interior of the valve member 50. The interior of the turn is threaded to a bellows follower 66 which isfixed to the closed end 61 of a pressure responsive bellows 68.

The bellows is enclosed within an inverted cap member 69 which is sealed to the lower portion valve body by means of the gland nut which holds the upper end of the cap member 69 tightly against the edge of a rubber diaphragm H The rubber diaphragm II prevents the water .from the horizontal intermediate chamber 38 from gaining access through the passage 12 to the interior of the bellows 68.

The interior of the cap mm'nber69 is connected by means of the fluid conduit 13 to the supply conduit 2 l which supplies compressed refrigerant to the condenser coil 23 of the condenser 22. The conduit 13 permits the condenser or head pressure to gain access to the interior of the cap member so that its pressure is exerted upon the bellows 68. When the condenser pressureis sufiiciently high, the force exerted upon the bellows 68 will be sufficient to overcome the tension of the valve spring 58 to raise the valve member 50 as well as the'metering pin 51 to permit the flow of water from the intermediate chamber 38' into the valve chamber 39 and out through the threaded opening 14 into the water supply conduit 35. The calibrated metering pin 51 has such a shape, as shown in-Fig; 2, to permit the proper amount of water to flow past the open valve for each head pressure. When the condenser or head pressure i'sreduced, the valve .spring 58 will overcome the force exerted on the bellows 68 and cause the valve member 50 together with its annular composition insert 5| to engage the valve seat 48 to prevent the flow of water therethrough. A threaded plug provides'- access to the cylindrical valve chamber 39.

In order to vary the flow of water through the valve without varying the opening and-closing pressures thereof, I have provided a square head 11 upon the upper end of the shank 56 of the metering pin 51 so that the metering pin 51 may be raised or lowered with respect to the valve.

member50 by screwing it upwardly ordownwardly. This is-accomplished by reason of the fact that the threaded upper shank 56 which connects the metering pin with the valve member-50 has threads similar to the upper threaded portion of the threaded connecting member 65v which connects the metering pin 5'! to the closed end of the" bellows 68. When the metering pin 51 is rotated by means of its squared upper end 11, the metering pin alone is moved upwardly or downwardly by reason of its threaded connection with the connecting member 65 and the valve member 50. The metering pin 51 is given a peculiar shape as is better shown in Fig. 2, so as to provide the proper flow of water through thevalve according to different head pressures. By adjusting the metering pin 51 upwardly or downwardly, the valve may beso controlled and regulated that it can be used with a compressor of a different capacity and yet main- .tain similar condenser pressures. By this adjustment means the metering pin 51 can be raised or lowered to take care of different variations in the temperature of the cooling Water which-are found in diiTerent localities. The adjustment of the metering pin can'also be used to provide the proper flow of water to the condenser when the capacity of the compressor 28 is changed by driving the compressor at a different speed. Inasmuch as the location of the metering pin is changed without changing the relation between -,the bellows 68 and the valve member 50, the

opening and closing pressures of the valve memher are not affected by the adjustment of the metering pin.

ent condenser pressures so as to always supply the correct amount. justmnt provided for in the metering pin, the valve is made suitable merely by adjusting the location of the metering pin for compressors of different capacities and cooling water of different temperatures without changing the opening and closing pressures of the valve member 50.

The metering pin 51 properly controls and regulates the flow of water at diifer- Thus, by reason .of the ada ing a valve body, said valve body containing valve means for permitting and shutting off the flow of water, said valve means including metering means for metering the flow of water through the valve' means, pressure responsive means actuated by the refrigerant pressure within said condenser for controlling said valve means including said metering means to regulate the supply of cooling water maintaining the condenser pressure range con-' to the condenser according to its requirements, and adjusting means for said metering means to varythe flow of water for diflerent capacities of the compressor while maintaining the condenser pressure range constant.

2. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a water cooled condenser, and an' evaporator, a water control valve for controlling the flow of water to said condenser, said control valve having a valve body, said valve body containing valve means for permitting and shutting off the flow of water, said valve means including metering means the compressor while maintaining the condenser pressure range constant, and adjustment means for said pressure responsive means for varying the control of the flow of fluid through said valve means by said pressure responsive means.

3. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a water cooled condenser, and an evaporator, a water control valve for controlling the fiow of water to-the condenser, said valve including a valve member for shutting off the flow of water, means responsive to refrigerant pressure for operating said valve member, and a metering means in series with said valve member for metering the flow of water to the condenser, said metering means including adjusting means to vary the flow of water for different compressor capacities while stant.

4. Refrigerating apparatusincluding a closed refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a liquid cooled condenser, and an evaporator, a

liquid control valve for controlling the flow ofcooling liquid to the condenser, said valve including a valve member for shutting off the flow of cooling liquid, means responsive to conditions of said closed system for operating said valve member, and means in series with said valve memher for regulating the flow through the valve.

5. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a liquid cooled condenser, and an evaporator, a liquid control valve for controlling the flow of cooling liquid to the condenser, said valveinclud-- ing a valve member for shutting off the flow of cooling liquid, means responsive to conditions of said closed system for operating said valve member, means in series with said valve member for regulating the flow of cooling liquid through the valve, and means for adjusting said last mentioned means independently of said valve member.

6. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a water cooled condenser, and an evaporator, a

of cooling liquid 3 water control valve for controlling the flow ol I water to said condenser, said control valve having a valve body, said valve body containing valve means for permitting and shutting ofi the flow of water, said valve means including regulating means for regulating the flow of water through the valve means, pressure responsive means actuated by the refrigerant pressure within said condenser for' controlling said valve means including said regulating means to regulate the supply of cooling water to the condenser accord ing to its requirements, and adjusting means for said regulating means to vary the flow of water for different capacities of the compressor while maintaining the-condenser pressure range con stant.

7. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a water cooled condenser, and an evaporator, a water control valve for controlling the flow of Water to said condenser, said control valve having a valve body, said valve body containing valve means for permitting and shutting off the flow of water, said valve means including regulating means for regulating the now of water through the valve means, pressure responsive means actuated by the refrigerant pressure within said condenser for controlling said valve means including said regulating means to regulate the supply of cooling water to the condenser according to its requirements, and adjusting means for said regulating means to vary the flow of water for different capacities of the compressor while maintaining the condenser pressure range constant, and adjustment means for said regulating means for varying the control of the flow of fluid through said valve means by said pressure responsive means. 1

8. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a liquid cooled condenser, and an evaporator, a liquid control means for controlling the flow of cooling liquid to the condenser, said liquid control means including a valve member for shutting off the flow of cooling liquid and a metering means independent of the valve means but in fluid series relationship with the valve member, and means responsive to conditionsof said closed system for operating the valve member and the metering means for regulating the flow of cooling liquid through the valve.

9. Refrigerating apparatus including a closed refrigerating system comprising a compressor, a liquid cooled condenser, and an evaporator, a liquid control means for controlling the flow of cooling liquid to the condenser, said liquid control means including a valve member for shutting off the flow of cooling liquid, a. regulating means for regulating the flow of cooling liquid through the valve, means responsive to conditions of said closed system for operating saidvalve member and said regulating means, and means for adjusting said regulating means independently of said valve means.

DANIEL L; KAUFMAN.

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