Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-01-30
Ice Making

1t would seem as if Jack Frost would
of icemaking if all the claims of those
who have invented machines 10 make
ice artiflcially are allowed. One Of the
latest, and il is claimed the best ice
making machine is an English inven-
ton. In this machine the refrigerating
agent employed is ammonia. There are
three essential points on which the
efficacy of arefrigerating agent depend
viz, first, the temperature at which
it evaporates; second, the tension of its
vapor in equal temperatures; third, the
amount of heat it is capable of absor-
bling and making latent. In each of
these points, the inventor says, ammon-
ia is incomparably superior to either
sulphurous acid or ether.
Ammonia has an advantage of l23 de-
grees of temperature over ether, 43 over
sulphurous acid. The tension of the
vapors of each at $50 degrees Fahr. is !;
Ether, 30 inches; sulphurous acid,
l20 inches; ammonia 450 inches. The
latent heat of each, in heat units is as
follows Ether l62 degrees sulphur
Gus acid about l72 degrees; ammonia +,
800 degrees. Ammonia has thus the ad
vantage of more than 200 heat unit
over each of the other agents, and has
not any of the dangerous infiammability
attached to the employment of ether,
and is very much cheaper. Neither
does ammonia decompose when exposed
to the air, nor chemically combine with
it. In the working of the ammonia
machine air is expelled by creating a
slight pressure after the ammonia is
put in, which drives all the air out. In
either an ether or sulphurous acid ma
chine it is necessary to first obtain a
vacuum in them, which is very often a
work of great difficulty. Air decompos-
es both ether and sulphurous acid, and
as both these machines work with a
vacuum, it is impossible to keep all air
out.
But perhaps the most important and
interesting feature in this machine, it is
claimed, is the simplicity with which it
is worked. 1t consists of four essential
parts-a boiler containing ISOLATION of
ammonia in water; distilling appara-
tus for taking over the vapor of ammon-
ia, which is liquified by its own pres
sure when pumped into suitable re-
ceiver; a cooling cylinder containing a
coil OF pipes, through which a solution
of chloride of calcium (lime) circulates,
which can be cooled down to as much
as fifty degrees below zero, still remain
ing fluid, and, lastly, bath into which
this liquid passes, and which contains
the pure water which is TO be frozen.
Ii will be seen that ammonia liquifies
by its own pressure being removed.
The action of the machine, it is said. il
also automatic and continuous, and no
motive power is required beyond that
which is sufficient to work small pump
for keeping the liquids in circulation.
The ice is rendered clear as crystal by
the action of an apparatus which keeps
up slight but constant agitation in the
water during the formation of ice, thus
dissipating the air. 1t is claimed that
this machine will produce ten tons of
clear ice in twenty-four hours, at cost
in England of five shillings (sl.25) ton
If this is so, then the days of the old
fashioned ice business are numbered.
A cooling machine for breweries is also
made on the same patent. This machine
is to be introduced into this country,
China, India, and other parts of the
world.