Fair play., 1880-02-14

IMPROVED REFEIGERATING ArrAEA-
Tt'>.-Thc export If fresh mra, from
this country and from Australia and
South America To EIlro.:c has icl I" he
invention If = number "t processes for
keeping the inca' cool during the y"y-
age. The most simple, and, :" far. The
most successful. process. consists IN
making an Iir-ti-ht chamber in tn.
steamer, and pumping air 10y means al
Il fan and special engine, through Il
series If pipes packed III ice. The air
is coolrd Ia al'nu, - deg. Fahr.. and i,
deprived Of it, moisture hy condCn>a' ion
il passing the pipes, and the mc;: i
preserved perfectly 81 long Is the supply
nf ice holds out and III" fan l. kept in
motion. An improves: process recently
announce! diSprn-c> with iE. Use al :ce
and ;i,.cnmpli>hc~ elialiy ~o"h results.
with only Il ni"!,riie expenditure #
power. The new mr;ho,! j. fuundc,! on
the simple fact of the hr..iiH, and '.rnl
inm If air when compressed and allowed
io expand. A meat chamber nf any
convenient shape and size is fitted ur.
and near it is placed N air compressor
driven by steam power. The first re-
Snl; obtained is Il heating If the com
pressed air, and 10 ret ris! 0f this heat.
Il spray of cob. wafer Is let into tli.,
chamber containing the compressed mir
at each stroke "f the compressor. This
lowers the temperature tu that of cold
water, and by an ingenious system of
fine grating, the moisture that St!ur:itc.
the compressed air is extracted. The
air is passed through Il series of finely
perforated disks, on which Il large pre-
portion of the wafer is caught and
allowed To pass away through suitable
valves Within the mra. chamber are
arranged series "f pi:rS hung
up in Zigza" form (probably straight
pipes joined by returning brn,ls), an'l
the compressed air is allowed To pass
through these, still farther chilling j:
and removin" by condensation the re-
manning moisture. 1t then passes t"
the cylinder Of an engine and is there
allowed to expand in driving the cn~jnr
The exhaust air Is then taken hy pipes
into the meat chamber. and there IL
lowed tn expand to atmospheric pres
sure. The engine is also coupled To- the
steam engine iha! drives the compress
Sors, and thus the mir III expanding per-
forms part of the visible work oi CON-
pressing. BY this ingenious process the
air is cooled three times and enters the
chamber, not only 'lry, but very cold
There * less waste of power by this
process, and :, far lower degree of cold
and freedom from dependence on ice.
BY taking the air for compression from
the chill-room :: still lower temperature
may be obtained, and by joining one
apparatus TO another, there is apparent
ly no limit to the lowering Of the tenn
perature of the air. The practical limit
is found in the freeing OF the lubricants
used in the engine that i driven hv the
compressed air. Oil is frozen solid ana
stops the engine, and in practice 1t i
found that riycrrimc must hr used. an!
here the process stops. tor. ii ih" chill
ing and rechiliin% is carried farther. the
rlvccrinc must freeze and the engine
will be unable ~ move. The pru,r>-
has been kept in operation for three
months without >toppin" and has
proy"'! t. l.c entirely practical and nj
i-l'ri"ry. and viii undoubtedly mon h
tried an steamers making ,nng :..,-:..,''-
.>fFiin.r'. i.Hiiig.