US2507380A

US2507380A - Dilution of refrigerant gases

Info

Publication number: US2507380A
Application number: US744482A
Authority: US
Inventors: Willard L Morrison
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-04-28
Filing date: 1947-04-28
Publication date: 1950-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1967-05-09

Description

May 9,l 1950 W. L. MORRISON DILUTION GF `REFRIGEIRANT GASES Filed April 28, 1947 A n I MIEI -zvd rforsorb HZ' arri/Fys Patented Mayo, 195o UNITED STATI-:s "PATENT ortica 2,507,380 DILUTION OF REFRIGERANT GASES Willard L. Morrison, Highland Park, Ill. Application April 28, 1947, Serial No. 744,482

i (ci. 62-1) Claims. l

My invention relates to a safety valve and means for diluting high-pressure, inflammable refrigerant gases used in connection with refrigerating systems.

One object of my invention is to provide a relief valve for refrigerating systems wherein high-pressure, explosive gases are released to the outer atmosphere.

Another object of my invention is to provide automatic means for diffusing and diluting dangerous or combustible gases as they escape from a pressure system.

Another object is to provide means for simultaneously permitting the exhaust of combustible gases from refrigerating systems and the like, and the dilution thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method of safely operating and valving off dangerous gases from a refrigerating system.'

Other objects will appear from time to time in the specification and claims.

I illustrate myinvention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, which discloses a vertical section through that part of the refrigeration system which includes my invention.

Referring to the drawing, I show a, tank or receiver I, preferably part of a, refrigerating system the detalls of which are not illustrated, as they formno part of the present invention. This tank contains inflammable gas such as propane or ethylene under pressure, as part of the refrigerating system, though, to be sure, the inventicn is equally applicable to any situation where gases under pressure escape, and safety requires their dilution.

Another tank 2 is a receiver containing a smothering, inert diluent gas such as C02. 'I'he passage 3 connects the receiver I with the pressure chamber E in a pressurestat housing 5. A bellows 6 in the housing 5 is exposed on one side to the pressure in the refrigerating system or in only through the pipe 2I.

will raise the two actuating rods I4 and I5, slidably pivoted as they are at I2 and I3, to the lever 9. This will open the valves Isa and I 'la so that gas may simultaneously discharge from receiver I through the capillary tube I8` and the valve housing I6 into the chamber 20, and from the receiver 2 through the capillary tube I9 and valve housing Il into the chamber 20. There the inflammable or dangerous gas will be mixed with the diluent or inert gas-and pass out innoculously to the outer atmosphere or to any other suitable point of disposal through the pipe 2 I, the stuillng boxes 22 encircling the members I4 and I5 insuring that the mixed gases will be discharged 26 is a compressor which discharges refrigerant through a condenser coil 21 to the receiver I. The refrigerant leaves the receiver i through the conduit 30,- evaporator 3I, pipe lil to the compressor.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

In the use of refrigerant gas such as propane and ethylene, there is danger of serious fire or explosion if the gas is exhausted without being diluted. As` it is necessary to let out some of the gas when the pressure in the condensers or compressors goes beyond a predetermined safety point, it was necessary to devise a means of diluting the inflammable gas purposely emitted from the safety valve before exhausting it to the outside.

the receiver I, and on the opposite side is exposed to the atmosphere or to some other pressure independent of the refrigerating system or independent of the pressure in the receiver I.

When the pressure in the receiver I for any reason whatever exceeds a predetermined point, that pressure applied to the bellows 6 will compress tne spring and raise the rod 8 upwardly, the rod 8 being connected to the lever 9 by the connector I0, and will cause the lever 9 to rotate in a clockwise direction, the lever being pivoted at Il on a suitable ilxed abutment. Raising or rotatinginaclockwisedirectionoftheleverl With my invention, as the pressure in container lI rises it will be the same in space l where it will compress the bellows 6. This compression will lift the shaft 8 which in turn will move the rod 9 upward, pivoting on pin II. Rods Il and l5 are connected to 9 by means of pins I2 and I3. As the rods I4 and I5 rise they open the valves I6 and Il at IGa and Ila, thus allowing the infiammable gas in tank I' to be metered through coil I8 into space 20 and the smotherlng gas in container 2 to be metered through coil I9 into the space 20. In the space 2U the inflammable gas and the smothering gas mix so that the inflammability is counteracted and it is safe to exhaust the gas to the outside.

In connection with a refrigerating apparatus of the type with which my invention is intended to be used, normally the system is a closed one. and there is no escape of the refrigerant gases. butr there is always the possibility of failure of' some of the control mechanisms, in which case pressure might build up dangerously. So the safety valve must be provided.

No additional pressure controls or mixture controls are needed, because since the pressurestat is set to blow oi at a predetermined pressure, all that is necessary is that the pressure in the receiver 2 be maintained high enough so that a suiiicient amount of CO2 or other diluent will be mixed in the chamber 2l) with the refrigerant gas. Depending upon the type of diluent and the type of refrigerant, the proportion of diluent and dangerous gas may be selected, and so long as the pressure in the receiver tube is high enough to give at least the necessary minimum of diluent, operation is safe and satisfactory.

I claim:

1. In -combination a refrigerating system, a refrigerant gas contained under pressure therein, a receptacle containing a diluent gas under pressure, a mixing chamber, conduits leading from the refrigerating system and from the receptacle adapted to conduct the gases separately to the mixing chamber, a valve adapted to control the iiow of gas through each conduit, means responsive to increase in pressure of the gas in the refrigerating system, for opening both valves to cause simultaneous discharge of diluent and refrigerant to the mixing chamber.

2. In combination a refrigerating system, a refrigerant gas contained under pressure therein, a receptacle containing a diluent gas under pressure, a mixing chamber, conduits leading from the refrigerating system and from the receptacle adapted to conduct the gases separately to the mixing chamber, a valve adapted to control the flow of gas through each conduit, means responsive to increase in pressure of the gas in the refrigerating system, for opening both valves to cause simultaneous discharge of diluent and refrigerant to the mixing chamber, each of the conduitsleading to the mixing chamber including a capillary tube.

3. In combination a refrigerating system, a refrigerant gas contained under pressure therein, a receptacle containing a diluent gas under pressure, a mixing chamber, conduits leading from the refrigerating system and from the receptacle adapted to conduct the gases separately to the mixing chamber, a valve adapted to control the flow of gas through each conduit. means responsive to increase in pressure of the gas in the refrigerating system, for opening both valves to cause simultaneous discharge of diluent and refrigerant to the mixing chamber, a discharge pipe leading from the mixing chamber to a safe point of discharge.

4. In combination a pressure system containing dangerous gas under pressure, a reservoir containing an inert gas under pressure, a mixing chamber, separate gas passages extending from the pressure system and from the reservoir to the mixing chamber, valves controlling said passages, a discharge from the mixing chamber, means responsive to increase in pressure in the system for simultaneously opening both valves to permit discharge of the two gases to the mixing chamber, and the discharge from the mixing chamber` of a safe mixture of dangerous and inert gas.

5. The method of operating a refrigerating system which consists in maintaining in the system a supply of refrigerant gas at high pressure, maintaining a supply of inert diluent gas, discharging the refrigerant gas from the system when the pressure therein exceeds a predetermined point, to a mixing zone, discharging the diluent gas to the mixing zone in consonance lwith discharge of the refrigerant gas, then mixing the refrigerent and the diluent gas and then discharging the mixed resultant inert gas to atmosphere.

WILLARD L. MORRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED` STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,248,308 Rice July 8, 1941 2,341,268 Davis, Jr. Feb. 8, 1944