US2353714A - Absorption refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 18, 1944- N. ERLAND AF KLEEN ABSORPTION REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. l7, 1940 lk (QL INVENTOR N/LS ERLANDA KLEEN ATTOR 2 Sheeis-Sheet l July 18, 1944. N. ERLAND AF KLEEN 2,353,714 r I ABSORPTION REFRIGERATI-NG APPARATUS I Filed Dec. 17, 1940 2 Sheets sheet 2 FIG. 4

INVENTOR BYL NILS ERLAND KLEEN ATTORN Patented July 18,

UNITED STATES PATENT orrica Nils Erland af Kleen, Stockholm, Sweden, as signor to 'Kleen' Refrigerator, !nc., Hoboken, N. J.. a corporation of Delaware Application December 17, 1940, Serial No. 370,431

17 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in absorption refrigerating apparatus having one or more intermittently operating units and is directed more particularly to a boiler absorber for generator-absorber construction where each unit includes a plurality of separate circulating systems for cooling respectively different zones or regions, such for example, as the ice tray compartment and the storage compartment in a refrigerator cabinet.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. 293,- 477, filed September 5, 1939, for Absorption or adsorption refrigerating apparatus, patented May 5, 1943, under No. 2,319,806, there is disclosed an evaporator system having one portion for freezing ice in an ice tray compartment, or the like, and another portion for cooling 9. food storage space. Due to the 'diflerence in the amount of refrigeration required for cooling a storage space and for freezing ice, the amount of refrigerant evaporated in the evaporators and reabsorbed in the generator-absorbers must be increased over that normally used in refrigerating apparatus of this type. As a consequence, the capacity of the boiler absorber assembly must be increased to take care of the increased quantity of solid absorbent necessary.

The absorbent material is usually contained in annular trays in the boiler absorber and in another co-pending application, Serial No. 285,- 011, filed July 22, 1939, for Refrigerators, now Patent Number 2,326,130, certain dimensions are given for theconstruction of these trays which are essential to a proper operation of the refriger nting unit. In order to remain within these limits and yet provide a boiler absorber capable of absorbing the increased amount of refrigerant required for cooling the difierent zones, the ionitudinal dimension of the boiler absorber must correspondingly be augmented to take'care of additional trays. Because of the limited space afforded in refrigerator cabinets for the refrigerating equipment, especially where two units are used to produce substantially continuous refrigeration, the increased longitudinal dimension required renders the boiler absorber impractical for use in standard-sized refrigerator cabinets.

The present invention overcomes the above noted disadvantages and consists of a boiler absorber assemblyhaving inner and outer absorbent chambers each preferably constructed in accordance with dimensionsset out in my above mentioned co-pending application Serial No. 286,011, whereby the over-all ensions of the boiler absorber assembly is reduced to take care of the increased amount of refrigerant.

The invention consists also in a boiler absorber assembly haying one absorbent chamber for a refrigerant used to cool one zone, and another absorbent chamber for a refrigerant used to cool another zone.

The new and novel features of the invention will be hereinafter more fully set forth in the following description, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views- Fig. 1 is a dlagraatic view of a refrigerating apparatus having two intermittently operating units, each emng my new boiler absorber assembly, certain parts being shown in section and certain parts broken away Fig. 2 is a horizontal transverse section through the boiler absorber assembly of one of the units taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; v

Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the two evaporator systems of the two units for the freezing compartments of the cabinet, and

Fig. i is a lar view of oneof the/other evaporator systems of the units, for the storage chamber in the cabinet.

In the drawings, referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the refrigerating apparatus illustrated comprises a pair of intermittently operating units generally indicated as A and B, and inasmuch as both of these units are similar in all respects to one another, only the parts of unit A will be described in detail by reference to one set of numerals, the corresponding'parts of unit B being distinguished by the prime of the numerals used in describing unit A. This unit includes myimproved boiler absorber assembly generally represented by the numeral iii consisting of live concentric cylindrical shells ii, it, it, it and i5, spaced radially inwardly from one another. Iiitermediste its loitudinal extremities, the inner shell 55 has welded or otherwise suitably secured thereto a pair of transverse walls iii spaced longitudinally from one another to form a closed inner circular chamber ill having a series of trays it containing solid absorbent material capable of absorbing a gaseous refrigerant during the absorptionperiodof operation of the unitend of giving up such refrigerant during the generating period of operation thereof.

Th m: emities oi the r shell heat exchange relation with the circular chamber H. The cylindrical shell l2 terminates at its longitudinal extremities in radially inwardly extending walls 2| welded to the cylindrical shell l3 intermediate the ends of the latter to form a second closed annular jacket 22. Similarly, the longitudinal extremities of the outer shell Ii terminate in radially inwardly extending walls 23 secured to the cylindrical shell l2 adjacent the ends of the latter to form an outer annular chamber 24 surrounding and in heat exchange relation with annular jacket 22. As in the case of the inner chamber ll. outer annular chamber 24 is also provided with a series of trays 25 containing solid absorbent material.

The. trays l8 in chamber l1 and the trays 25 in chamber 24 are preferably constructed in accordance with the dimensions set out in my co-pendmg application Ser. No. 286,011; namely, the

radial width of trays 25 and the diameter of trays should be -35 mm. at the utmost, while the axial distance betweenthe trays in each of chambers 24 and II should not exceed 5 mm.

The cylindrical shells l3 and i4 form an annular flue 26 for the passage of a heating medium. such for example, as hot gases generated by any suitable gas burner or the like 21, disposed below the double boiler absorber i0.

Fuel is admitted to the gas burner 21 through pipe conduit 28 during the generating period of operation of the unit to heat the boiler absorber assembly l0 and expel the gaseous refrigerant from both the inner and outer absorbent chambers i! and 24, respectively. From the inner chamber H, the gaseous refrigerant passes upwardly through conduit 29 leading to a condenser 30 where the refrigerant is condensed and is delivered through pipe 3| into a collecting vessel 32 disposed in the upper portion of the refrigerator cabinet. The gaseous refrigerant expelled from the outer chamber 24 passes upwardly through a conduit 33 into a condenser 34 and is delivered through pipe 35 to a second collecting vessel 36 arranged adjacent vessel 32.

When the burner 21' of unit B becomes active to heat the boiler absorber assembly ill, the gaseous refrigerant from the inner chamber i|' passes upwardly through conduit 29' into condenser 30' and is delivered through pipe 3 i into a collecting vessel 32', while the gaseous refrigerant from the outer chamber 24' passes upwardly through conduit 33' into condenser 34' and is delivered through pipe 35' into a second collecting vessel 35'. The four vessels 32, 32', 36 and 36 are all preferably surrounded by a block 31 of any suitable insulating material to prevent evaporation of the condensed refrigerant from occurring therein.

Each collecting vessel 32 and 32' has associated therewith a pair of evaporator coils '33, 33, and.

38', 33', respectively, as clearly shown in Fig. '3. One end of each of these evaporator coils extends downwardly from the bottom of the respective vessels through the top wall 40 of the cabinet (Fig. 1), and the opposite end of each of these evaporator coils is connected to the upperportion oi the respective vessels. Evaporator coil 33 of vessel 32 is arranged in one side of a freezing compartment 4| in the cabinet, while evaporator coil 38' of vessel 32 is arranged in the opposite side of this freezing compartment. Similarly, evaporator coil 39 of vessel 32 is arranged in one side of an ice-tray compartment 42 adjacent freezing compartment 4|, while evaporator coil 33' of vessel 32 is arranged in the opposite side of said ice-tray compartment.

From the bottom of the vessel 36, the condensed refrigerant enters one end of an evaporator coil 43 which extends downwardly through the top wall 40 of the cabinet into the food storage space 44- of the cabinet, the other end of this evaporator coil extending upwardly and terminating in communication with the upper portion of vessel 35 as shown in Fig. 4. A similar evaporator coil 43' extends vdownwardly at one end from the bottom of accumulator 36' into the food storage compartment 44 and terminates at its other end in communication with the upper portion of accumulater 36. Each portion of the evaporator coils 43 and 43 arranged in the storage compartment 44 is preferably provided with cooling fins 35 and- 45', respectively, for increased efilciency. Any condensation forming on the evaporator coils t3 and 43' and dripping therefrom is collected in a suitable tray 46 which may be removed and emptied when necessary.

For the absorption period of operation of each unit when the refrigerant evaporated in the various evaporator coils 38, 38', and 39, 39' returns to the respective inner absorbent chambers i7 and I1, and the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator coils 43 and 43 returns to the respective outer absorbent chambers 24 and 34', the boiler absorber assemblies ill and ID are cooled by any suitable means. In Fig. 1, there is shown a secondary system for the circulation of a cooling medium through the annular jackets 2!], 22, and 20', 22' of the respective units A and B. The cooling medium enters the jackets iii and 22 of boiler absorber assembly to through a pipe 3? leading from one side of a valve chamber :38 and terminating in two branch conduits 89 and 5d, the former being connected to the bottom of jacket 20 and the latter to the bottom of jacket 22. The cooling medium leaves the upper portion of the respective jackets 2B and 22 by way of branches BI and 52 connected to a pipe 53 leading to noondenser 54, and is delivered to a collecting tank 55 from which it returns to the valve chamber 48 through pipe 56.

,In unit B, the cooling medium enters the bottom of-the jackets 20', 22 by way of the branch conduits 49 and 50, respectively, of pipe 41' leading from the opposite side of the valve chamber 48, leaves the upper portion of the jackets through branch lines ii, 52' connected to the conduit 53' leading to a condenser 54, and is delivered to the collecting tank 55.

In order to speed up the circulation of the cooling medium through the secondary system, each oi the jackets 2i! and 22 of unit A and jackets 20' and 22 of unit B is provided with a plurality of vertically disposed tubular members co-pending application, Serial No. 318,148, filed 51 and 51', respectively, open at their lower ends and closed at their upper ends to form vapor pockets for the periodic reception and discharge of the cooling medium as fully disclosed in my February 9, 1940, now Patent No. 2,331,898.

These tubular members 51 and 57' are secured versa being automatically controlled by a switch 6t carrying valves ti and ti at. its opposite ex'-. tremities, respectively, the former adapted to,

cooperate with a complementary seat in the valve chamber to control the flow of the cooling medium through. line ll, and the latter adapted to cooperate with a complementary seat to control the flow of the cooling medium through line H. a I

The lower end of lever 58 extends through an opening provided in a transverse partition d2 which divides valve chamber 58 into an upper valve compartment $8 for the cooling medium of the secondary system, and a lower valve cornpartment 64 for the fuel admitted to the gas burners 21 and 27' of the respective units A and B through conduits 2t and 29'. The opening in the partition 62 is sealed by a bellows diaphragm arrangement 55 to prevent communication between the upper and lower compartments. A transverse valve rod 56 is operatively connected intermediate its ends to the lower end of switch lever 58 and carries valves 61 and ti at its opposite extremities adapted to cooperate with complementary valve seats to control the passageof fuel into the respective conduits 2d and 28'. A

Switch lever 58 is rocked on its pivot 59 from one position to another and vice verse by means of a transverse rod 68 operatively connected thereto intermediate its ends and arranged in the upper compartment 83 of the valve chamber 68. A bellows diaphragm 6d arranged in one side wall of the valve chamber 68 and responsive to a fluid pressure system it in thermal contact with the boiler absorber assembly iii, cooperates with one end of the rod 68 to move the latter in one direction, while a similar bellows diaphragm 68' in the opposite side wall of the valve chamber 48 and responsive to a fluid pressure system Hi in thermal contact with the boiler absorber assembly Ill cooperates with the other end of rod 88 to move the latter in the opposite direction. A snap spring ll secured at one end to the bottom wall of the valve chamber 48 cooperates with the lower end of switch lever 58 to yieldably maintain the latter in either of its extreme positions so that whenthe pressure in the corresponding fluid pressure system 10, or rises sufllciently, the switch lever 58 will be rocked from one operating position to the other with a snap action.

The operation of the refrigerating apparatus is believed obvious without further description, it being clear from Fig. 1 that when unit A is being'heated for its generating period by the gas burner 21, unit B will simultaneously be cooled for its absorption period by the secondary cooling system, and the refrigerant from the inner and outer absorbent chambers l7 and 28 of unit A will flow to the respective vessels 32 and 3t and evaporator coils 38 and 39 associated with'the first vessel and evaporator coil 43 associated with the second vessel, while the refrigerant in unit B will evaporate in the evaporator coils 3B and 39 associated with vessel 32 and evaporator coil 43' associated with vessel 36' and return to the respective inner and outer absorbent chambers I1 and 24' to be absorbed by the absorbent material therein.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a multicompartment vessel or boiler absorber from which it is possible to buildup a refrigerating unit having enough refrigerant to cool a plurality of zones: Furthermore, dueto its construction, I provide a boiler absorber assembly having less iron weight for given dimensions than previously known boiler absorbers constructions, thereby obtaining greater em- '5 ciency.

It will be noted further that for a given amount of refrigerant incirculation to cool a plurality inet, the invention is not to be confined to this particular illustration as the arrangement and relationship of the refrigerant circulating systems with respect to the inner and outer absorbent chambers may obviously be varied. Furthermore, the invention may be applied to any reirigerating apparatus of the intermittent type employing either a single unit, or any number of units.

Finally, the invention is equally applicable to adsorption refrigerating apparatus, and the-use of the terms absorption, absorbing, absorbent and absorber" in the above description, as well as in the following claims, is intended to include also adsorption, adsorbing, adsorbent and adsorber.

No claim is made in the present application to the specific cooling means or cooling coils 38, 8B; 39, 39'; and 43, d3 shown and described for the different compartments of the refrigerator cabinet, or to the particular arrangement of such cooling coils with respect to the compartments as the same form the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial No. 431,208, riled February 17, 1942.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and advantages of the present invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it

being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention as set out in the following claims.

What I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: v p

1. In absorption refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent type having a plurality of circulating systems for a normally gaseous refrigerant to cool different zones, the combination with a boiler absorber assembly having a closed annular chamber charged with absorbent material capable of absorbing the gaseous refrigerant of certain of said plurality of systems during one period of operationof the apparatus and of expelling such refrigerant during the other period of operation thereof; of a second closed chamber in said boil- I er absorber assembly concentric with said first named chamber and spaced radially therefrom, said second closed chamber charged with absorbent material capable of absorbing the gaseous refrigerant of certain other of said plurality of systems during one period of operation of the apparatus and of expelling such refrigerant during the other period of cperation thereof, and separate conduit means connecting said annular chamber and said second chamber to the respective circulating systems.

2. In absorption refrigeratingapparatus of the intermittent type having a plurality of circulating systems for a normally gaseous refrigerant to cool different zones, the combination with a cylindrical boiler absorber assembly having a closed chamber disposed centrally thereof, said chamber being charged with absorbent material capable of absorbing the gaseous refrigerant of certain of said plurality of systems during the absorption period of operation of the apparatus and of expelling such refrigerant during the generating period of operation thereof; of a closed annular chamber in said cylindrical boiler abv sorber assembly spaced radially from said first named chamber, said annular chamber being charged with absorbent material capable of absorbing the gaseous refrigerant of certain other of said plurality of systems during the absorption period of operation of the apparatus and of expelling such refrigerant during the generating period of operation thereof, and separate conduits connecting said central chamber and said annular chamber to the respective circulating systems.

3. In a boiler absorber assembly for use in'refrigerating apparatus of the type operating intermittently in the absorption and generating pe-' riods, respectively, wherein said apparatus includes a plurality of circulating systems for a normally gaseous refrigerant to produce low temperatures at different regions; a closed cylindrical casing, a plurality of separate concentric compartments in said casing, each of said compartments containing a charge of absorbent material capable of absorbing a gaseous refrigerant during the absorption period of operation and of expelling such refrigerant during the generating period of operation of the apparatus, and conduit means from each of said compartments for connection to said plurality of circulating systems.

4. In a boiler absorber assembly for use in refrigerating apparatus of the type operating intermittently in the absorption and generating periods, respectively, wherein said apparatus includes a plurality of circulating systems for a normally gaseous refrigerant to produce low temperatures at different regions; a closed cylindrical casing, a'compartment disposed centrally in said casing, a separate annular compartment in said casing spaced radially from said central .compartment, each of saidcompartments containing a charge of absorbent material capable of absorbing a gaseous refrigerant during the absorption period of operation and of expelling such refrigerant during the generating period of operation of the apparatus, ,a conduit from said central compartment for connection to certain of said plurality of circulating systemsyand a conduit from said annular compartment for connection to certain other of said plurality of circulating systems.

5. In refrigerating apparatus of the type operating intermittently in the absorption and generating periods, respectively, said apparatus having a plurality of circulating systems for a normally gaseous refrigerant to produce low temperatures at different regions; a boiler absorber assembly comprising a plurality of concentric cyand secured thereto to form separate closed chambers spaced radially from one another, certdin of said chambers containing a charge of ,ab-

sorbent material capable of absorbing the gaseous refrigerant of said plurality of said circulating systems during the absorption period of operation" and of expelling such refrigerant during the generating period of operation of the apparatus, conduit means from each of said absorbent chambers for connection to said plurality of circulating systems, conduit means from certain other of said chambers for connection to a cooling system to cool the boiler absorber assembly during the absorption period of operation of the apparatus, and a flue formed between two 2! said cy-.

lindrical shells and extending longitudinally through said boiler absorber assembly for a heating medium to heat said absorbent containing chambers during the generating phase operation of the apparatus.

6. In refrigerating apparatus; the combination of a vessel divided into a plurality of chambers including one chamber containing absorbent material and forming the generator-absorber of an intermittent absorption type refrigerating system and another chamber containing absorbent ma-' terial and forming the generator-absorber of another intermittent absorption type refrigerating lindrical shells radially spaced from one another.

system, and means for alternately heating and cooling said vessel.

'7. In refrigerating apparatus; the combination of a vessel divided into a plurality of chambers including one chamber containing absorbent material and forming the generator-absorber of an intermittent absorption type refrigerating system, a second chamber containing absorbent materm] and forming the generator-absorber of another intermittent absorption type refrigerating system, and a third chamber forming the vaporizing portion of a vaporizatiomcondensation heat transfer system operating to cool said vessel intermittently for the operation of. said flrst named and second named chambers as absorbers, and means for heating said vessel intermittently but in out-of-phase relation to thecooling for operation of said first named and second named chambers as generators.

8. In refrigerating apparatus; the combination of a; vessel divided into a plurality of chambers including one constructed and arranged to form that part of a refrigerating system in which a refrigerating fluid is generated intermittently and another constructed and arranged to form that part of another refrigerating system in which a refrigeratingfluid is generated intermittently, and means for heating said vesse1 intermittently for generation of the refrigerating fluids in said first-named and second-named systems. respectively.

9. In refrigerating apparatus; the combination of a vessel dividedinto a plurality of chamber including one constructed and arranged to form that part of an absorption refrigerating system in which a refrigerating fluid is absorbed intermittently and another constructed and arranged to form that part of another absorption refrigerating system in which a refrigerating fluid is absorbed intermittently, and means for coolingsaid vessel intermittently for absorption of the refrigerating fluids in said firstnamed and second-named systems, respectively.

10, In refrigerating apparatus; the combination of a vessel divided into a plurality of chambers including one chamber constructed and arranged to-form that part of an absorption retion refrigerating system in which a refrigerat-- ing fluid is absorbed, and other chambers constructed and arranged to form the vaporization portions of a vaporization-condensation heat transfer system to cool said first and second chambers for absorption of the refrigerating fluids in said first-named and second-named systems, respectively.

11. In refrigerating apparatus; the combination vof a unitary assembly comprisin means forming a plurality of chambers including one chamber constructed and arranged to formthe generator-absorber of an absorption refrigerating system having alternate generating and absorbing periods a second chamber constructed and arranged to form the generator-absorber of another absorption refrigerating system having alternate generating and absorbing periods, and other chambers constructed and arranged to form the vaporization portions of a vaporization-condensation heat transfer system to cool said first and second chambers during each absorbing period of said first-named and second: named refrigerating systems, and means forming a passage for a heating fluid in thermal exchange relation with said first and second chambers'to heat the latter during each generating period of said first-named and second-named refrigerating systems.

12. Refrigerating apparatus comprising, in combination, two vessels each having a, plurality of chambers including one constructed and arranged toform the generator-absorber of an intermittent type absorption refrigerating system and another constructed and arranged to form the generator-absorber 'of another intermittent type absorption refrigerating system, heating means for each vessel, cooling means for each vessel, and means cooperating with said heating means and cooling means to control the alternate heating and cooling of each of said vessels in out-of-phase relationship with respect to one another.

13. In absorption refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent type, a generator-absorber comprising absorbent containing parts arranged in a unitary assembly, through said unitary assembly and separating said generator-absorber parts from one another, and means for operating said cooling means in- -termittently.

cooling means extending means including two evaporator coils in fluid communication with said two-named generatorabsorber parts, cooling means extending through said unitary assembly and separating said twonamed generator-absorber parts from one another, heating means for said last-named gencrater-absorber parts, and means for operating said heating means and cooling means alternately.

15. In a refrigerator, a pair of intermittent absorption refrigerating systems each including a generator-absorber, a condenser and an evaporator part, a low temperature refrigerating chamber and a high temperature refrigerating chamber, the evaporator part of one of said systems being arranged to refrigerate said low temperature refrigerating chamber and the evaporator part of the other of said refrigerating systems being arranged to refrigerate said high temperature refrigerating chamber, means for heating said generator-absorbers in common, means for cooling said generator-absorbers in common, and

means c ntrolling said heating and cooling means for operating said refrigerating systems alternately on generating and absorbing periods in inphase relation with each other.

16. In a refrigerator; a plurality of units each including two intermittent absorption refrigerating systems, each of said intermittent refrigerating systems including a generator-absorber, a condenser and an evaporator part connected in circuit: a cabinet structure associated with said units having a plurality of compartments including a low temperature refrigerating compartment of each of said-units in out-of-phase relation' with each other.

17. In absorption refrigerating apparatus of the intermittent type, a generator-absorber comprising absorbent containing parts arranged in a unitary assembly, heating means extending through saidunitary assembly and separating said generator-absorber parts from one another, and means for operating said heating means intermittently.

N113 ERLAND AI KLEEN.

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