US2096147A

US2096147A - Refrigeration

Info

Publication number: US2096147A
Application number: US736100A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Harry A Toulmin
Original assignee: COMMW ENGINEERING CORP
Current assignee: COMMONWEALTH ENGINEERING Corp; COMMW ENGINEERING CORP
Priority date: 1934-07-19
Filing date: 1934-07-19
Publication date: 1937-10-19
Anticipated expiration: 1954-10-19

Description

H. A. TOULMIN. JR

REFRIGERATION Oct. 19, 1937.

1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 19,

/lvl/ENTUR HAR/WA. TaL/M/N, JR. uw j ATTaR/VEYS Qu .SE

Rb luk f Patented Oct. i9, 1937 REFRGERATION Harry A. Toulmin, Jr., Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Commonwealth Engineering Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application `luly 19, 1934, Serial No. 736,100

Claims.

My invention relates to refrigeration.

It is the object of my invention to provide a method and apparatus for refrigeration employing water as a refrigerant, or an emulsion in 5 combination with water, as hereinafter specied.

It is a further object to provide a refrigeration method and system which eliminates the use of steam, and other prior types of gases, and substitutes therefor a high velocity body of ne lo liquid particles, non-Volatile in character; and

capable of recovery and re-use after use.

It is a further object to provide in combination with the apparatus and method of the foregoing paragraph a vacuum pump that will l5 be sealed to improve its vacuum and will be lubricated by the material used as the injector jet for causing the evaporation of the water in the cold water tank that is being used for the refrigerant.

- It is an object to provide this combination of an injecting apparatus and a vacuum pump so that the vacuum pump will be of such small size as to feasibly and economically and, at the same time, provide for the elimination, when the vac- 26 uum pump is used, of a surface condenser.

It is a further object to provide an emulsion for use with the cold water circulation system which Will not materially depreciate the capacity of the water to evaporate, but Will reduce materially the freezing point of the water thereby eliminating a disadvantage of steam, compressed air and other prior water refrigeration systems in that the temperature of .the water cannot be reduced below that of its freezing point.

It is a` particular object of this invention to provide low temperature water withoutV the necessity of running a. steam plant in summer time when refrigeration systems are utilized.v

It is further object to provide a system in which the injecting system can re-use the material being used in the booster injector Without the necessity for regeneratingv or resupplying the material.

In the-drawingsz Figure 1 is a diagram showing the application of one phase of this invention, to-wit, the use of a high velocity jet of liquid or other particles, such as an oil spray or the like to a water refrigeration system; i

Figure 2 is an' extension of the application of the features of my invention illustrating the application of an injector and vacuum pump to a water refrigeration system and the use of an oil recovery system in connection therewith;

Figure 3 is a section through a combined liquid spray and injector nozzle.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the emulsier I is provided with a make-up oil inlet 2 and a 5 make-up water inlet 3. Water and oil supplied by these inlets to the emulsier is emulsied therein and the emulsion is supplied through the emulsion inlet l to the cold tank 6. The emulsion inlet 4 is controlled by the oat controlled 10 valve 5 and is provided at its junction with the cold tank 6 with spray nozzles, by means of which the emulsion is supplied in spray form to the interior of the cold tank 6. Coolant is removed from the bottom of the cold tank 6 throughthe l5 coolant outlet I and supplied therefrom by means of the pump 8 to the cooling coils 9 and from the cooling coils to the coolant return pipe I0, which conveys it back to the emulsier I. The coolant comprises oil and water or that portion of the 20 emulsion originally supplied to the cold tank 6, from which water vapor has been removed in order to lower the temperature of the coolant.

Above theemulsion spray nozzles, the cold tank 6 is provided with scrubber plates or bailles 25 II which are interposed between the surface of the coolant and the pipe or pipes I2 communieating with the injector nozzles or sprays I3 (see Figures 1 and 3). 'Ihese sprays are similar to those used in Diesel engine practice and com- 30 prise a high velocity oil spray by which high velocity particles of oil are directed through the throat of booster injector casing I4. The pressure to which the oil is subjected is from 500 to 4,000 pounds per square inch. This high velocity 35 liquid spray, in passing through the booster injector casing, serves to entrap or entrain the water vapor from the surface of the coolant to lower the temperature of the coolant in the cold tank 6. The oil spray and water vapor pass to 40 the surface condenser I5, from which the air makes its exit through'the outlet I6 to suitable ejector means.

Cooling water enters the surface condenser from the inlet I1 and, after passing through the 45 pipes I8, leaves the condenser through the outlet I8'. The condensate comprising oil and water is conveyed from the condenser by the condensate loutlet I9 from the condenser to the condensate storage tank 20)., From the condensate 50 storage tank 20, the oil and water are removed by the return line 2| having the pump 22 inserted therein. This return line joins the coolant return pipe I0, whereby the condensate returned through the return line 2| joins with the 55 partial vacuum in the vapor passageway 28,`

whereby to induce a iiow of vapor through the passageway 28 to the mixing tube 21. This is a modication of the type of injector illustrated in Figure 1.

In the modication illustrated in Figure 2,

the emulsier 3l is provided with a make-up oil inlet 32 and the make-up water inlet 33. From the emulsier 3l, the emulsion inlet 34 leads to the cooling tower 36. The emulsion inlet 34 is `controlled by the float controlled valve 35 and is provided with spray inlets adapted to spray the emulsion downwardly upon surfaces of broken crockery or brick work in the cooling tower 38. Coolant from which water vapor has been removed in a manner which will be hereinafter described is removed from the cooling tower 36 through the coolant outlet 31 by the pump -38 which pumps it into the cooling coils 39, from whence it is returned through the coolant return pipe 40 to the emulsiiler I.

For the purpose of removing water vapor from the emulsion sprayed into the cooling tower 36, the cooling tower is provided with scrubber plates or bailles 4I above the emulsion sprays or jets, 35 and above these scrubber'plates or bailles the pipe or pipes 42 provide communication from the top of the cooling tower to the injector or spray nozzle or nozzles 43. The injector may be either of the form illustrated in Figure l or the formv illustrated in Figure 3. The oil supply for the injector 43 comprises the pipe 45 leading from the oil storage tank 44 to the high pressure oil pump 46 which is connected by-means of the valve 41 with the accumulator 48. High pressure oil accumulated in the accumulator passes through the valvecontrolled injector oil inlet 49 to the injector 43. From the injector 43,` the oil land entrained water Vapor pass through the injector outlet 50 to the vacuum pump 5| and 50 thence through the vacuum pump outlet 52 to the oil and water separator tank v53. In this tank, the-oil and water are separated andthe oil is conveyed through the oil outlet 54 to the oil storage tank 44, while the water may be removed 55 therefrom through the water outlet 55. Air may escape from the oil and water separator tank 53 through the air outlet vent 56.

Refrigerant It is likewise knownthe vapor point of the water. I do this by providing an emulsion of oil and water in which the oil is in suspension in the water not to exceed 5 percent and preferably between one-half of one percent and one percent of the total volume of the water. This is sufficient to reduce the freezing point of the water and, at the same time, the oil being in suspension in the water as an emulsion the oil does not spread as a film over the surface of the water and increase its evaporation point. By this means I eliminate one of the principal objections to water refrigeration.

Oil nozzle The oil issuing from the nozzle while composed of minute drops traveling at high velocity appears to be upon observation a vapor and in duce a region of very low pressure into which the water vapor is drawn. 'I'he Venturi tube then gradually enlarges increasing the pressure of the fluid column on account of the decreasing velocity and this increase of pressure compresses the water vapor. By such a type of installation lt is possible to eliminate the vacuum pump en tirely when desired. The angle of this enlarging tube is sulciently small to maintain contact as the fluid is passed outwardly: preferably the combined angle of the two sides should not be over four degrees.

It will be understood that the use of the term oil is illustrative and that I desire to comprehend within my invention the use of other non- .water miscible uids and that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying con. `ditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is: A

1. In a method of refrigeration, emulsifying oil and water, and removing water vapor from said emulsion. 4

2; In a method of refrigeration, emulsifying oil and water, spraying said oil and water emulsion into a container and removing by ejection water `vapor therefrom.

3. In a method of refrigeration, emulsifying a small proportionof oil of approximately 1 to 5 percent of oil with water, spraying the emulsion into a container, moving the emulsion over an extended surface and ejecting water vapor and air from said container..

4. In a method of refrigeration, emulsifying a small proportion of oilof approximately 1 to 5 percent of `oil with water, spraying the emulsion into a container, moving the emulsion over an extended surface and ejecting water vapor and air from said container, and employing an oil spray for causing said ejection.

5. In a 4method of refrigeration, emulsifying oil and water to form a refrigerant, moving the refrigerant so as to present an extended surface thereof, removing by ejection air and water vapor from said emulsied refrigerant, and effecting said ejection by a high pressure liquid spray.

HARRY A. TOULMIN, Jn.