US653666A - Ice-making plant. - Google Patents

Description

No. 653,666. Patented July I7, I900. A ELLIS.

ICE MAKING PLANT.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 653,666. Patented .luly I7, moo. A. ELLIS.

ICE MAKING PLANT.

(Application filed Jan. 18, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheei 2.

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ABRAM ELLIS, OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.

ICE-MAKING PLANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,666, dated July 1'7, 1900.

Application filed January 18, 1900. Serial Nol,830. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAM ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Richmond and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Making Plants, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an ice-making plant.

The object of the invention is the production of a plant for ice-making in which fuel shall be economized to a degree hitherto unknown by the use of a low-pressure or condensing steam apparatus in connection with automatic circulation. Said improvement provides for the direct utilization of what would otherwise be waste heat in the expansion and circulation of ammoniacal vapors. Certain improved details of construction are also herein included.

Figure 1 is a perspective indicating the general arrangement of the main component parts of the apparatus or plan t. This arrangement is variable according to circumstances. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the ammonia expander or vaporizer. Fig. 3 is a steam-condenser and ammonia-concentrator.

The numeral 1 denotes a steam-boiler, of any usual construction, provided with any usual furnace, as 99, and having a heat-flue 2, leading directly to stack 3, and also heatfiue 4 4, leading to the stack after passing through the lines of an ammonia-expander 5. Suitable valves, as 6 7, direct the products of combustion after passing through the steamboiler to the stack, so that the ammonia-expander may be heated by waste heat from the furnace after passing through the boiler, or not heated at all, as may be desirable; but in any case there is no requirement of the use of live steam from the boiler to expand or vaporize the ammonia. The steam-pipe 10 leads from the boiler 1 and supplies steam to the boiler feed-pump 11, from which the steam-exhaust passes by pipe 12 to the condenser 30. Pipe 13, connected to pipe 10, drives the ammonia-pump 14, such being preferably a duplex or compound pump, and the steam -exhaust passes to the condenser by pipes 15 16. Branch 17 from steam-pipe 10 supplies the water-circulating pump 18, from which the steam-exhaust passes by pipe 19 to the condenser 30. Branch pipe 21 leads from pipe 10 to the con den sed-Water force-pump 22, from which pump the exhaust-pipe 23 leads to a condenser 30.

It mustnot be understood that the particular arrangement of pumps, pipes, or steam circulation is considered important. The

fact that all the pumps exhaust to a steamcondenser, so that the-pumps do not have to work against atmospheric pressure is, however, important, also the fact that all the exhaust is condensed and is then used, as dis tilled water for the production of ice is important.

Having traced the steam circulation to the condenser I will now trace the ammonia circulation.

Beginning at the ammonia expander or vaporizer 5 the liquid or low-grade aqua-ammonia (say,sixteen-per-cent.ammonia) passes under pressure produced by heat and vaporization by pipe 90 through the body of the heater and exchanger 41, in which heat-er there is a water-circulating coil. The lowgrade ammonia loses part of its heat, which is desirable, and the feed-water gains heat, which is also desirable. The heater 41 is not new in construction, being shown in my Patent No. 552,991, of January 14,1896; From heater 41 the low-grade liquid ammonia passes by pipe 42 to the coils 43 44, where this ammonia liquid is cooled by the application of water to the coils, as usual. From these coils the low-grade liquid ammonia passes by pipe 45 to the absorber 46. The flow of liquid in the ammonia-pipes is controlled by suitable cocks or valves to secure uniformity of circulation. Vaporized ammonia or highgrade ammonia or ammoniacal gas passes from the expander 5 by pipe 47 to the coils 48 49 50, more or less in number, and the heat of said vapor is absorbed by a flow of water over the coils, as usual, so that at the end of these coils the rich ammonia becomes a liquid ready to expand when relieved of pressure. This liquid passes by pipe 51 to the ammonia-exhaust collector, which is a large pipe 52 alongside the ice-tank 33. The pipe 51 has a return-bend and returns through pipe 52, the object being to further cool the liquid ammonia in pipe 51 before passing it to the expansion-coils in tank 33. After this cooling passage through cooling-pipe 52 the ammonia-pipe 51 branches into a large number of coils in the ice-tank. Such coils are indicated at-53 and may be very numerous, as common. The exhaust from the tank-coils 53 escapes by pipe 52, having now expanded to gaseous form and performed the usual refrigerating function of such expanded gas in the ice-tank. From pipe 52 the cold-expanded ammonia-gas passes by coiled pipe 55 through the distilled-water tank 54;. From tank 54: the ammonia-pipe 55 continues to the absorber 46, into which absorber it enters, preferably, by a jet or mingler to again commingle with the low-grade liquid from pipe 45. From absorber 46 the reunited ammonia is drawn by pump 14 through pipe 57 and driven in pipe 58 through a coil in the body ,of the heater and exchanger 41, whence by pipe 60 the reunited liquid ammonia or aquaammonia passes to the rectifier 97 above and connected with expander 5. The feed-water pump 11 receives its supply from any suit able source, and its feed-pipe 39 leads through heater 41, and so to the boiler, as in my patent referred to. The water-circulating or cooling pump 18 receives its water-supply from any suitable source and propels it through pipe 63 to the manifold 64, where the water-pipe branches to a number of small pipes, which form cells inside the absorber 46, where the ammonia is cooled, and then passes by a number of pipes 66 to sprinklers or sprayer-s 67 over the ammonia-coils. A pan 70 catches the drip, which flows by pipe 71 to the condenser 30. From the condenser this water goes to waste, as at 72, having per formed the usual cooling operation on the steam in the condenser. One branch of the water pipe from the manifold 64 passes through the absorber 4.6 and thence by pipe 73 to and through the distilled-water tank 54 in a suitable coil and so to the condenser and to waste, acting to cool the distilled water. The distilled water from hot-well of condenser 30 is drawn by pump 22 and forced through pipe 81 to the distilled-water tank 54. From this tank the condensed water passes through filter 82 and so by pipe 83 to any suitable and usual arrangement of molds in the ice-tank 33. The ice-supply is thus made from condensed steam, by which the pumps are driven, and the distilled water so produced is adapted for the production of the purest ice.

As has been explained, it is not proposed that the precise arrangement of pipes, pumps, &c., need be followed further than convenience dictates. The general principles as applied to one plant are herein explained. In

know no plant as now constructed works on the low-pressure principle to utilize the entire exhaust from the circulating-pumps for the production of distilled Water for ice production, and no plant applies the direct waste heat to the expansion of the volatile liquid.

From long experience in the construction and operation of ice-making machines I am able to prove that by the adoption of the general plan of construction above set forthI can efiect a saving of fuel of from thirty to seventy per cent. over the best plant known to me and without any increased expenditure in any other direction or for any other purpose.

W'hat I claim is 1. In an ice-making plant, the combination of a steam-boiler provided with usual furnace and heat-flue, an ammonia expansion-tank through which the products of combustion may pass after leaving the boiler, a liquid and a vapor passage from said expansiom tank, pumps operated by steam from the boiler by which the ammonia is propelled in its circuits, and a feed-Water heater in which the ammonia acts to heat the Water for the boiler, substantially as described.

2. In an ice-making plant, the combination of a boiler-furnace, steam-boiler, and ammonia-expander, the heat-flue from the boiler passing directly to the expander, an ammonia-circulation pump driven by steam from the boiler, and freezing apparatus substantially as described, whereby the ammonia heating is effected by direct dry heat from the furnace, but its propulsion is caused by steam from the boiler.

3. In an ice-making plant, a steam-boiler, pumps connected to and driven by steam from the boiler, a condenser to which all the steam-exhausts lead, and a passage whereby the condensed water is' conveyed to the freezing-tank, an ammonia-circulating pipe controlled by one of the pumps leading through the freezing tank, an ammonia expander heated by dry heat from the boiler heatingflue, and connections from the freezing-tank whereby the ammonia is returned to said expander, all combined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ABRAM ELLIS.

Witnesses:

J. J. NELLIGAN, D. L. GITT.

ICC

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