US2538016A - Liquid cooler - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1951 H. w. KLI-:IsT 2,538,016

LIQUID COOLER Filed Sept. 18, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet JI 2 I* we II I I Il I II I II I II I II I I I I| i II II I II |I |I I I I| I I I II I I' I I I| I |I II I II I I: I I I II II II I I| I I| I Il I II II I I I I I I I l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 f' T' l ll l y I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I H. W. KLEIST LIQUID COOLER Jan. 16, 1951 .15 d 6 n n w m f m y ,m v nv m I n s a 3 w W x. ,W Il. IIIM. lll Il lll -i 1%. WIJ TQ mx ...lvm :E Mm MEE... o L IL x mx u Timm. .W N\ bw. .0. NN.. Wm.. P :15E: WNW n z X TSN. kx ma \N rv Q wm. m -:I:- .m 1 E-,F r1. A mm. .3 QJ ww .L 8 r I l I I I l I I I I I l I I I I l I I I I l l I I l I I \,P N i 4 l I I I I I I I l l l I l l l l l Il. l ||J|}\ `\\u\ \\\A m. r I\ -w f I-- w N1 w u. Q

Jan. 16, 1951 H. w. KLEIST 2,538,016

LIQUID COOLER Filed Sept. 18', 1948 3 :Shasta-Sheet f5 gi/Mm' Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES `PATENT i OFFICE Refrgerating Company ration of Illinois Chicago, Ill., a. corpo- Application September 18, 1948, Serial No. 49,943

4 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in liquid coolers, and applies, for example, to water coolers.

One purpose is to provide an improved mechanism for cooling water.

Another purpose is to provide a cooling system or mechanism for cooling water or other liquids in the course of their more or less continuous ow.

Another purpose is to provide an improved liquid or water cooling structure in which one effeet may be to build up a layer of ice along the path of circulating water.

Another purpose is to provide a water cooler of the ice-forming type in which a plurality of water paths are provided between the intake and the outlet.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings where- 1n:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a plan View, with the cover removed, and with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 3--3 of Figure 2-;

Figure 4 is an endview with parts in dotted line; and

Figure 5 is a cycling diagram, with the heat exchange portion illustrated in perspective.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, I generally indicates an insulated container or housing having an insulated bottom 2, insulated ends 3 and d, insulated sides 5 and 6, and removable insulated cover members l, 8. The details and structural features of the housing do not, of themselves, form part of the present invention, but I illustrate any suitable interior insulation 9 which may, for example, be of cork, surrounding an inner tank Il), and provided with any suitable exterior layer II. Any suitable flexible or compressible gasket or packing I2 may be employed for sealing the connection between the cover members 1 and 8 and the rest of the housing.

Positioned within the housing are a plurality of parallel plates. It will be understood that any suitable number may be employed, but, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, I illustrate four. I prefer to employ plates having plane walls. It will` 'be understood, however, that a wide variety of plates may be employed, and that plane walls are a preference rather than a necessity. The particular plates I illustrate are so-called vacuum plates, in which the interior of the plate is partially evacuated of air, in order to maintain the side walls of the plate in proper heat transmitting relationship with an evaporatorcoil positioned within the plate. Referring, for example, to Figure 3, I illustrate a plate formed of spaced,

parallel side walls I5 and I6. I illustrate one of the walls as having edge flanges I'I which form side or end walls for the plate. The walls I5 and I6 may be secured together, as at I8, to define and surround an inner area which may be partially exhausted as through the fitting I9, with its valve ball 20 and its threaded closure 2 I, which may be inserted after air has been withdrawn from the interior of the plate by any suitable instrumentality, not herein shown.

22 indicates an evaporator coil. It will be understood that any suitable eutectic may be ernployed partially to fill the interior of the plate in the space outside of the coil 22. However, under normal circumstances, I do not employ an eutectic, since it is not, in general, necessary when the plate is used in cooling liquids, as will later appear. In order to maintain a proper temperature within the plates I may employ any suitable means. I illustrate, for example, a motor 25 driving a compressor 2B through any suitable belt 21. 28 is a passage extending from the coinpressor 26 to any suitable condenser assembly 29. 30 is a pipe extending from the condenser 29 to any suitable receiver 3I. From the receiver 3I a liquid refrigerant supply duct 32 extends. 33 is any suitable expansion valve or means for causing a pressure drop. From it extend supply ducts 34 to each ofthe four plates illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. It will be understood that the plates are arranged in parallel, and that the volatile refrigerant, in liquid form, but at reduced pressure, flows through the supply ducts 34 to the evaporator coils 22 of the individual plates. The evaporated refrigerant then flows from each plate by an outlet duct 35 to a manifold 36, whence extends the low pressure return pipe 31 to the low pressure supply of the compressor 26.

The result is the provision of four plates which, for convenience, I will indicate as A, B, Cl and D,

and which are shown as parallel and as spaced members 40 land 42 insertable into and removable as a unitfrom the tank or container.

Thstructure herein shown may advantageously be u'sedsv ameans for 4coyolingf-wate'r or other liquids. 'ssume that it isused for maintaining a flow or supply of cooled water. I provide an inlet manifold 5U which may receive water, for

example, from an inlet P196. 5i t6 which the manifold may be removably secured, 4,as by suitable bolts 52'.` rWhe'nr the manifold" disconnected from the pipe 5I, the plate structure may readily be dropped into or removed from the tank or container.V Extending from the manifold 50 are a plurality of spouts 53,of which'veare shown, a jet of water being thus projected into each of the three interplate spaces and into the narrower spaces. between the outsidegplates and the opposed sides of the tank. It will be understood that the water is preferably maintained at a level adequate substantially or completely to cover the plates. The maximum lwater level may be controlled, for 'examplefbyproviding top outlets or spillways 54, 55, which are shown as at'slightly different levels. Thus a predetermined excess inflow will bring the upper spillway passage I55 into play to supplement the lower passage 54. In the normal use of the device the cooling water to be used or recirculated is withdrawn through a single lower outlet 56. It is shown as positioned at the same end of the tank as the manifold 50, but it will be understood that it may be positioned at the opposite end of the tank, if desired, as shown in dotted line at the left end of Figure 1. In either event, it will be understood that a circulation or recirculation of Water takes place along and between the plates.

Preferably, I so control the temperature of the plates, for example, by a proper adjustment of the pressure reduction valve assembly 33, to form, under normal conditions, a sheet or layer of ice on the exterior of the plate walls i 5 and i6. Since this ice may be formed-and will serve as a storage or stand-by of refrigeration, I may prefer to dispense with the use of an eutectic within the plates. In order to prevent a complete or undue closure or restriction of the space between and along the plates, I illustrate a control member` or bulb 60 `which may be suitably connected, in a circuit not herein shown, whereby, when a predetermined temperature drop takes place, or a predetermined thickness of ice is deposited, operation of the motor 25, and thus of the compressor 26, is interrupted until an increase in temperature or a reduction in the thickness of the ice ylayer again permits the motor to' operate.

It will be realized that, whereas, I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustratlve or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

It will be understood that, under many circumstances, it may be advantageous to have a eutectic in the space within the walls i5 and It and exterior to the coil 22, to provide a hold-over or storage feature. Thus the cooling effect is increased by employing the Btu of the eutectic as well as of Whatever ice forms on the plate.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

In the operation of the above described mechanism I illustrate a tank in which a plurality of refrigerating plates are used to define parallel paths. The number of plates may be indefinitely varied, or, in dealing with a sufficiently narrow passage, I might have merely a single plate. However, in most applications, a multiple plate structure is preferable, defining a multiple path between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet.

I find it advantageous, in the multiple plate,

A multiple passage structure, to employ a. water delivering manifold or distributor 50 from which extend a plurality of outlet or delivery nozzles 53. Each of these nozzles is aligned with and 4delivers water to one of the defined passages. Preferably, the discharge end of each such nozzle is located above the normal water level. because this sets up a circulation and turbulence of the water in response to the impingement of the water jet against and through the surface of the water. This causes a movement of the water, and, in effect, a recirculating or turbulent action, which subjects a maximum volume of the water to the direct abstraction effect of the ice -or of the cold plates, in the event that ice has not formed. I may, if I Wish, employ, also, a plurality of withdrawal passages at the other end of the tank, but under normal circumstances I find it satisfactory to use only the single outlet duct, as shown at 5B.

A primary advantage of the turbulence or recirculating action is that, after the ice has formed on the plates, the ice is maintained at a substantially equal thickness, and the heat abstraction effect is increased over all the plate surfaces, since the liquid to be cooled rapidly moves across the plate surface area, no units or parts of the liquid being long out of contact with the cooling surface of the ice.

In order to prevent an excess iceformation. which would restrict the flow of water through the cooling device, I may provide any suitable means, such, for example, as the temperature responsive bulb 60, which may be used to control the motor 25 in order to terminate the cycling of the volatile refrigerant when the thickness of the ice reaches a predetermined maximum.

I claim:

1. In means for cooling liquids, including Water, a tank adapted to receive the liquid to be cooled, said tank having side walls, end Walls and a bottom Wall, said tank having an inlet and outlet, a plurality of refrigerating plates in said tank, said plates being in generally upright position and being arranged to define parallel horizontal passages extending along the tank, said plates having plane surfaced, generally parallel, generally upright outside walls, and a refrigerant receiving coil Within and between said walls, means for cycling a volatile refrigerant through said coils and for thereby reducing the temperature of said plates to below the freezing temperature of the liquid, whereby a layer of ice forms on said plates, means for terminating the cycling of said volatile refrigerant upon the formation of a predetermined layer of ice coating upon the exterior of said plates, whereby said ice coating is adapted to constitute a cold storaze means This is preferable, Y

for maintaining the liquid cool intermediate the cycling periods of the volatile re!rigerant, means for maintaining the liquid being cooled at a level to keep said plates immersed, and means for creating turbulence in the interplate spaces, including means for directing defined jets of liquid into said interplate spaces.

2. The. structure of claim 1 characterized by and including a manifold connected to a source of liquid to be cooled, said means for creating turbulence including individual spouts extending from said manifold, each spout being aligned with and positioned to deliver liquid to one of the passages defined by and between the plates.

i with and positioned to deliver liquid to one of the passages dened byand between the plates, said spouts being downwardly inclined toward 6 the opposite end of the tank, the ends of the spouts terminating above the normal level of the liquid within the4 tank.

4. The structure of claim 1 characterized by each refrigerating plate having a body of eutectic exterior to the refrigerant receiving coil and within the outside walls of the plates.

HERMAN W. KLEIST.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,765,387 Warner June 24, 1930 2,056,970 Leopold Oct. 13, 1936 2,221,423 Reinhardt Nov. 12, 1940 2,271,648 Kleist Feb. 3, 1942 2,448,453 Morrison Aug. 31, 1948 2,463,899 Nicholas Mar. 8. 1949

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