US2088609A - Method of and apparatus for refrigerating - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 3, 1937. RANDE'L 2,088,609

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS-FOR REFRIGERATING Filed July. 28, 1936 I Z4 i 2;

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INVENTOR BY Bo FoLKE RANDEL.

QM ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REFRIGEBATIING Bo Folke Randel, San Diego, Calif.

Application July 28, 1936, Serial No. 93,018

7 Claims. (Cl. 62 -115) (Granted under the. act of March 3, 1833, as amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) 10 the use of the improvements, the invention consists of the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the -'understanding that the several necessary elements constituting the same may be varied in proportion 15 and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

In order-t make the invention more clearly understood, there are shown in the accompanying drawing means for carrying the invention into 0 practical efiect, without limiting the improvements in their useful application to the particular construction, which, for purposes of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus embodying the invention and capable of carrying out the improved method.

Referring to the drawing, an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention is shown as comprising a receptacle or compression tank Ill partially filled with a liquid refrigerant l and containing a cooling coil I2. A pump I3 driven by a motor l4 withdraws a portion of the refrigerant from the tank 10 through a pipe l5 5 and forces it at high velocity through a pipe l6 and an expansion nozzle located in an inlet chamber |8 of a Venturi tube I9. This Venturi tube is provided with the usual restricted portion 20 between the inlet chamber l8 and a flared outlet end 2| which extends into the compression tank l0 and communicates therewith above the level of the refrigerant The jet of refrigerant issuing from the nozzle ll creates a reduced pressure within the inlet cham- 5 ber l8 and the outlet end 22 of a second Venturi The upper end of the tank l0 communicates through a pipe 30 with the lower end of a coil 3 I, the other end of which communicates through a pipe 32 with an expanding nozzle 33 located within the inlet chamber 25 of the Venturi tube 23. The jet of refrigerant issuing from the nozzle I1 draws vapors from the outlet end 22 of the Venturi tube 23 and forces them into the compression tank II) where a part of the vapors will be cooled and condensed by the action of the coil. l2. The uncondensed vapors will pass through the pipe 30,- 0011 3|, and pipe 32 to the expansion nozzle 33 which will project them through the Venturi tube 23 into the inlet chamber IS. The vapor passing through the coil 3| is preferably superheated by means of a suitable source of heat such as a burner 34, the heat from which is confined by a hood 35 surrounding the coil. The-reasonfor heating this vapor is that if a small amount of vapor leaves the tank l0 through the pipe 30, it will be considerably increased in volume before it passes to the ejector nozzle 33, thus increasing its effect. The heat imparted to the vapor is, however, much -less than would be required if the vapor had to be produced by evaporating a liquid and then heating it. The condensing capacity may thus be reduced. The jet issuing from the nozzle 33 will reduce the pressure in the pipe 26 and refrigerating coil 21 which will cause a circulation of the refrigerant.

It has been found in practice that it will require approximately ten to twenty pounds of steam in the jet 33 for each pound of water evaporated in the tank llL-or say at least fifteen pounds of steam will pass through the pipe 32 to each pound of vapor passing through the pipe 26 from the refrigerating coil 21. Therefore, only 1/15 of the steam issuing from the nozzle 33 will be condensed by the cold refrigerant, and even this may be prevented by heating the vapor passing to the nozzle 33 to a sufiiciently high degree.

While the invention has been described as employing a liquid refrigerant and a vapor, it will be understood that it also contemplates a noncondensable .gas, such as air, for a motive vapor. In such case, the air circulates from the tank I, through the heating coil 3| to the expansion nozzle 33, and thence through the Venturi tubes 23 and I9 back to the tank "I. Also, it is possible to eliminate the heating coil 3| and pass the vapor directly from'the tank ID to the ejector nozzle 33, but in this case the load on the pump l3 will be increased.

The addition of heat to the vapor, whether refrigerant vapor or a non-condensable gas, will increase the capacity of the apparatus without adding too'much load on the pump. Also, there are installations wherein waste heat may be employed to increase the temperature of the vapor. For example, the invention may be employed in air conditioning on motor buses by utilizing the heat from the exhaust manifold to heat the motive vapor.

While a jet pump is shown and described, the invention includes any conventional pump, where a liquid in motion is used to transfer a vapor from a lower to a higher pressure. Any suitable mediums, suchas water, hydrocarbons, air, etc., may be employed within thecontemplated scope of the invention.

Other modifications and changes in the proportions and arrangement of the parts and in the mediums employed may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the. nature and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. The method of refrigeration comprising imparting motion to a liquid refrigerant, utilizing the energy in said liquid in motion to compress a refrigerant vapor in a compression space, condensing portions of said vapor in said compression space and passing said condensate to an evaporating space, passing another portion of said vapor to a heating space, heating said vapor and passing said heated vapor through an ejector device to produce lowering of the pressure in said evaporating space to evaporate refrigerant liquid in said space and passing the combined vapor back to said compression space.

2. The method of refrigeration comprising exhausting an evaporating space containing a refrigerant liquid by the means of a vapor ejector, cooling and liquefying the vapor generated in 7 said evaporating space, returning said condensate to said evaporating space, passing the motive vapor from said ejector through a heating space and back to said ejector and heating said vapor while passing through said heating space.

3. The method of refrigeration comprising exhausting a refrigerating space containing a refrigerant liquid by the means of a vapor ejector and evaporating a refrigerant, passing vapors from said vapor ejector to a liquid ejector and thence to a compression space, condensing refrigerant vapor in said compression space, passing the remaining vapor through a heater to said vapor ejector and said refrigerant condensate to said refrigerating space.

4. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a compression chamber for containing a liquid refrigerant; cooling means communicating with said compression tank; an ejector supplied with vapor under pressure from said compression tank for circulating the refrigerant from said compression tank, through said cooling means and back to said compression tank, and for reducing the pressure in said cooling means to vaporize the refrigerant therein, and means for condensing the vaporized refrigerant and for returning it to said compression tank under pressure.

5. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a compression chamber for containing a liquid refrigerant; cooling means communicating with said compression tank; an ejector supplied with vapor under pressure from said compression tank for circulating the refrigerant from said compression tank, through said cooling means and back to said compression tank, and for reducing the pressure in said cooling means to vaporize the refrigerant therein; means for condensing the vaporized refrigerant and for returning it to said compression tank under pressure, and means for heating the vapor supplied to said ejector to increase its volume and velocity.

6. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a compression chamber for containing a liquid refrig- -erant, cooling means communicating with said compression chamber; a vapor ejector communicating with said compression chamber and said cooling means for reducing the pressure in the latter to cause the evaporation of the refrigerant therein; a second ejector communicating with said compression chamber and with the expansion end of said first mentioned ejector for condensing the vaporized refrigerant and delivering it to said compression chamber under pressure; and means for conducting a motive vapor from said compression chamber to said first mentioned ejector.

7. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a compression chamber for containing a liquid refrigerant, cooling means communicating with said compression chamber; a vapor ejector communicating with said compression chamber and said cooling means for reducing the pressure in the latter to cause the evaporation of the refrigerant therein; a second ejector communicat ing with said compression chamber and with the expansion end of said first mentioned ejector for condensing the vaporized refrigerant and delivering it to said compression chamber under pressure; means for conducting a motive vapor from said compression chamber to said first mentioned ejector, and means for heating the motive vapor prior to its delivery to said first mentioned ejector to increase its volume and velocity.

' BO FOLKE RANDEL.

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