US2107243A

US2107243A - Air conditioning apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2107243A
Application number: US36396A
Authority: US
Inventors: Norman H Gay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-08-15
Filing date: 1935-08-15
Publication date: 1938-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1955-02-01

Description

FEE). 1, 1938. Nl H, GAY 2,107,243

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. l5, 1955 t E N Inventor: JV'ornan/ E. 6165/,

wya.

Patented Feb. 1, 1938 AIR. CONDITIONING APPARATUS Norman H. Gay, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 15,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements `in airconditioning apparatus, and particularly concerns means for removing humidity from the air while it is being circulated to and from the apartment.

One of the features of the present invention is the provision of devices operating to provide a circulation of a heat-exchanging medium which is employed for pre-cooling the air preparatory to a secondary cooling operation, and for reheating the air following such secondary cooling thereof.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a refrigerating plant for establishing a cooling effect upon the air, and comprising an evaporator disposed in the path of the air movement, in conjunction with a condenser for the refrigerant gas and means for raising the gas upon its return from the evaporator to a suitable pressure, together with means located in the conduit from the condenser to the evaporator for producing a sub-,cooling eifectupon the liquid and thereby producing a heating effect upon the air.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a refrigerating plant including an evaporator and a conduit leading from the evaporator to pressure producing means, this conduit including devices located in the path of the air movement for causing a cooling of thesair on its way to the evaporator for a further cooling at said evaporator.

A further feature of the present invention is the provision of a refrigerating plant including an evaporator for producing-a cooling of the air to a pre-determinedminmum temperature, together with means traversed by the refrigerant medium on its way from and to the evaporator for effecting a pre-cooling and an after-heating of the air.

A still further feature of the present invention is the provision of a refrigerating plant including an evaporator disposed in the path ofthe air movement, means associated with arefrigerating plant for producing a pre-cooling and an afterheating of the circulating air, and further heat exchange devices for eifecting a pre-cooling and an' after-heating. independently of the refrigerating plant.

'Still another feature of the present invention is theprovision of means for employing a supply of cool Water in multiple flow for eifecting the condensation of refrigerant gas in the condenser, of the aforesaid refrigerating plant and for pro- 1935, Serial No. 36,396

ducing a first or initial pre-cooling of the air on its way to the evaporator surfaces.

Still another feature of the present invention is the provision of such air-conditioning apparatus in conjunction with automatic control de- 5 vices for determining the rate of heat exchange between the pre-cooling and the after-heating devices.

With these and other features as objects in view, as will appear more clearly inthe course of the following specification and claims, an illustrative form of practicing the invention is set out on the accompanying drawing, which conventionally and diagrammatically shows elements of construction and their assemblage according to the present invention. v

In the drawing, the apartment Il), for which the air is to be conditioned, is connected by an outlet duct II, with a conduit I2 which in the illustrative apparatus is formed as a structure enclosing the various cooling, heating and eliminating devices which are interposed in the path of flow of the circulating air. After passing through these devices, the air is moved by a fan I3, driven by the motor I4, through an admission duct I5 back into the apartment I0, thus establishing the circulation of air.

A refrigerating plant is illustrated as comprising a compressor or compressors I6 capable of variable action for delivering definite quantities of hot compressed refrigerant gas, according to its adjustment.- This compressed gas passes into a condenser I1 in which it is liquefied and moves to a sub-cooler I8 for the refrigerant liquid, this subcooler having its heat exchanging Walls disposed in the path of the owof air through the conduit I2 so that the hot refrigerant liquid is cooled by the air on its way through the conduit I2 back to the apartment I0, and conversely the heat from this liquid is employed for warming the air. The cooled liquid now passes to the expansion valve I9 and thence into the evaporator 20 which likewise has heat-exchange Walls disposed in the path of the air moving through the conduit I2, so that this evaporator operates to produce a predetermined minimum temperature of this air. From the evaporator 20, the refrigerant gas escapes and passes through a superheater 2| on its way back to the compressor I6. This superheater 2Ifis likewise disposed in heat exchange relationship with the air flowing through the conduit I2, so that this air is precooled before it passes into the evaporator 20 on the one hand, and on the other hand the refrigerant gas is superheated and all liquid content thereof is volatilized before passing to the compressor I6. It will be noted that this establishes a refrigerating plant with the several parts connected for performing multiple operations upon the air .during its passage in the conduit I2.

The condenser I1 is illustrated as being controlled by cold water coming from a source of supply by a conduit 22, and which is utilized under control of the valve 23 in a spray device 24, by which the water is caused to flow over the condenser I1. The water from the condenser is caught in a sump 25 and then passes to a discharge or waste passage 26. A branch of this cold Water supply pipe 22 also communicates with a valve 21 so that cold water may also be passed through a. precooler 28 comprising a coil, for example, traversed by this cold water, which escapes from the cooler 28 into the waste pipe 25.

A further heat exchange system, independent of the refrigerating plant, is shown as comprising a circulating pump 36 for moving the exchange medium, which is preferably water or brine by reason of the large heat capacity of aqueous fluids. This heat exchange medium passes by conduit 3| into the heat exchanger 32 where the Warm water causes a Warming of the air passing through conduit I2, and is itself cooled. The cooled water passes by conduit 33 into the heat exchanger 34 where it serves to cool the airon its way to the evaporator 20, and is itself warmed thereby, so that warm water returns by conduit 35 to the pump 30.

The operation of the precooling devices 28, 2|, and 34 causes a successive reduction of the temperature of the air, and this is finally brought to a predetermined minimum by the operation of evaporator 20. As a result, the circulating air is reduced to a temperature below its dew point so that water precipitates therefrom and forms suspended globules and also collects on the walls of conduit I2 and of the devices themselves and iiows down and is discharged. The suspended globules are removed from the air current by an eliminator 36 which is shown conventionally. Thereafter, the cold dry air is successively heated by the devices 32 and I8. If a suilicient heating is not afforded thereby, a higher temperature is produced by the radiator device 31 which is supplied through a control valve 38 with steam coming from a steam main 39. This steam valve 38 is actuated by a thermostatic device 40 which is controlled through conduit 4I from the thermostat 42.

As it is usually desirable to permit the escape of a portion of the circulating air, and to replace this portion by an admission of fresh air, an exhaust duct 43 may be utilized in conjunction with the regulator damper 44, while fresh air is admitted through a duct 45 under control of a damper 46. 'Ihe two dampers may be coordinated' in their action as by a connecting link 41.

It ispreferred to provide a type of automatic control for the apparatus. form, a hygrostat is connected by conduit 5I with the driving device 52 which turns a shaft upon which are mounted the

contact sectors

53, 54, 55, and 56. These contact sectors have varying angles and cooperate respectively with the

brushes

51, 58, 59, and 60. Current is supplied from a main conductor 6I through a switch 62 to conductor 63 and thus to the brush 51 which remains in contact with the sector 53 regardless of the position of the several sectors. Sector 53 is electrically connected to all ot the other 'sec- In the illustrated tors so that current is continuously supplied thereto so long as switch 62 is closed. When ,the hygrostat 50 indicates an extremely dry condition, the brush 58 does not engage the sector 54, and brushes 59 and 6I) are likewise free of their sectors and 56. The operation of the plant is now essentiallystatic, and comprises a circulation of air by the fan I3.

When the moisture content of the air increases above the desired percentage, the hygrostat 50 causes such a movement of the4 sectors that current flows from sector 54 by brush 58 and conductor 64 to the circulating pump 3l) and starts this pump. If the refrigerating system is entirely static, no result occurs, but if the evaporator is still cool from a prior refrigerating cycle, the air issuing from it cools the heat exchanger 32 and thus a cooling is effected at the heat exchanger 34 and thus a slightly greater cooling is effected of the volume of air circulating through the conduit I2 and a slight elimination of moisture occurs therefrom.

If this does not suffice and the hygrostat v5l) continues to indicate an excessive moisture, a Contact is established by the further rotation of the sectors so that sector 55 causes current to flowto brush 59 and by conductor 66 to the control device 61 of the compressor I6 and the latter comes into operation for compression at a fraction of its maximum capacity, and thus the refrigerant plant as a whole comes into action and the evaporator 20 passes to a lower temperature, below the dew pointof the air moving through conduit I2, and moisture is eliminated therefrom. During this phase of the cycle, it will be noted that the refrigerant medium is employed at sub-cooler I8 for warming the air on its way back to the apartment I9, that it is employed in the evaporator 20 for producing the minimum temperature of circulating air, land that the returning quasi-gaseous or gaseous refrigerant is employed in the super-heater device 2| for pre-cooling this circulating air.

Meanwhile, the circulating pump 30 continues to run and serves for heating the air on its way from the evaporator back to the apartment I0, and. for employing usefully the cold withdrawn from this returning air as a means of pre-cooling the air before passing to the evaporator 20, through the agency of the heat exchanger 34.

If this operation of the compressor I6 at fractional capacity is still insuiilcient for establishing the desired dehumidication, the sectors are turned yet further under the control of the hygrostat 50 so that a contact is made at sector 56 for the flowing current by brush 60 and conductor 68 to the control device 69 of the compresser I6 and the latter cornes into action at full capacity. Thereby a greater refrigeration eiect is produced for cooling the air and thus establishing a very low dew point thereof, together with an eiiicient exchanging of heat between the air at the two stages of its movement through the conduit I2.

` It will be noted that the several electrical devices are connected with a return conductor 65 to complete the back flow of current.

It is obviousthat if the air becomes drier than a pre-determined standard, the hygrostat 50 causes a reverse-operation of the driving device 52 so that the sectors successively open the paths for current to their

correspondingbrushes

60, 59, and 58.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited heat exchange relation with the air iiowingxinl said path for successively producing a cooling and to the particular employment illustrated, but that it may be employed in-many ways Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: a

1. An air conditioning apparatus including means providing a path of ilow for the air; and a refrigerating plant having a compressor, a condenser, a refrigerant liquid subcooler, an expander, an evaporator, and a refrigerant gas l superheater connected together; said superheater, evaporator and sub-cooler being located in heat exchange relation with the flowing air for successively producing a precooling, cooling and re-.

heating thereof; heat exchanging devices located upstreamward and downstreamward of the evaporator in said path of air ow, means for circulating an exchange medium through said heat exchange devices so that the upstreamward device exerts a cooling eiect upon the flowing air and the downstreamward device exerts a heating effect thereon; said cooling device, said evaporator and said heating device being successively traversed by air owing in said path; and means responsive to the humidity of the iiowing air for controlling the circulation through said heat exchanging devices and for varying the output of said compressor, said responsive means being effective for establishing a maximum circulation through said heat exchanging devices before establishing a maximum output of said compressor.

2. An air conditioning apparatus including means providing a path of ow for the air, la refrigerating plant including a Variable capacity compressor and an evaporator, heat exchanging devices located upstreamward and downstreamward of the evaporator, means for circulating an exchange medium through'said heat exchange devices so that the upstreamward device exerts a cooling eiect upon the flowing air and the downstreamward device exerts a heating elect thereon, said cooling device, said evaporator and said heating device being successively traversed by air flowing through said means, and means responsive to the humidity of the' flowing air for controlling the circulation through said devices and for varying the output of said compressor, said responsive means being effective for establishing a maximum circulation through said heat exchanging devices before establishing a maximum output of said compressor.

3. An air conditioning apparatus including means providing a path of ow for the air; and

a refrigerating plant having a compressor, a con-y denser, a refrigerant liquid subcooler, an expander, and an evaporator connected together; said evaporator and subcooler being located in a reheating thereof; heat exchanging devices located upstreamward and downstreamward of the evaporator, means for circulating a heat exchange medium through said heat exchange devices so that the upstreamward device exerts a cooling eiect upon the flowing air and the downstreamward device exerts, a heating effect thereon, said downstreamward device being located between the evaporator and the sub-cooler; said cooling device, said evaporator, said heating device and said subcooler being successively traversed by air flowing in said path; and means responsive to the humidity of the flowing air for controlling the circulation through said exchanging devices and for varying the eect of said ble capacity,

evaporator, said responsive means being eiective for establishing a maximum circulation through said heat exchanging devices before securing the maximum eilects from said sub-cooler and said evaporator. f

4. An air conditioningl apparatus including means providing a path of ow for the air; a refrigerating plant having a compressor, a condenser, a refrigerant liquid subcooler, an expander, an evaporator, and a refrigerant gas superheater connected together; said superheater, evaporator, and subcooler being located in succession downstreamward of one another in heat exchange relation with the air flowing in said path; a first heat exchange radiator located between the superheater and the evaporator in said path of ow, a second heat exchanger radiator 5. An air conditioning apparatus including means providing a path of flow for the air; a refrigerating plant having a compressor, a condenser, an expander, and an vevaporator connected together, said evaporator being located in heat exchange relation with the air owing in said path; a first radiator located upstreamward of the evaporator, a secondradiator located downstreamward of the evaporator, and liquid' moving means for maintaining the flow through and between said radiators; a device 'responsive to the condition of humidity of the air moving in said path, means controlled by said responsive device for controlling the operation of said liquid moving means for determining the amount of water separated from the moving air, and means also controlled by said responsive device for changing the refrigerating effect at said evaporator, said controlled means being coordinately actuated so that a maximum operation of said liquid moving means is produced before a maximum cooling effect is produced in said evaporator.

6. An air conditioning apparatus including means providing a path of refrigerating plant having a compressor of variaa condenser, an expander, and an ow for the air, a

evaporator connected together, said evaporator t by said responsive device for successively controlling said liquid moving means and said compressor and operating when a minor dehumidication is to be accomplished for energizing said liquid moving means and operating whenqsuccessively greater dehumidifications are to be accomplished for starting the compressor and for eiecting the operation of the same at full capacity.

7. An air conditioning apparatus including means providing a path of ow for the air; a refrigerating plant including a compressor of Variable capacity, an evaporator, and a refrigerant liquid sub-cooler, said evaporator and subcooler being successively traversed by air owing through said means; heat exchanging devices located upstreamward and downstreamward of the evaporator in the path of the air owing therethrough, means for circulating an exchange the humidity of the flowing air for controlling medium through said heat exchange device so the circulation through said heat exchanging dethat the upstreamward device exerts a cooling vices and for varying the output of said compreseffect upon the flowing air and the downstreamsor, said responsive means being effective for ward device exerts a heating effect thereon; said establishing a maximum circulation through said cooling device, said evaporator and said heating 'exchanging devices before establishing a maxl device being successively traversed by air fiowimum output of said compressor.

ing through the same; and means responsive to NORMAN H. GAY.