, 1885-01-07
A BIG HOTEL WITHOUT ICE.

The Machinery by which An the Frsez-
Ing Is Dune
New York Tribunal
The proprietors OF a great uptown hotel
have thrown off the yoke Of the despotic Ice
man Hereafter a large rsfrigerating plant
on a novel principle will make it "a cold day
for the contents Of their numerous rcfriger-
ators, while those contents Will no longer
possess the unpleasant moistness which the
proximity OF melting fee induces. The guest
with scientific tendencies viii no longer be
able TO discover fossils dating from the gla-
cial epoch In bis Ice water, for his ice will be
frozen from pure winter in a carafe or glass
decanter. holding about one quart and
specially designed for this purpose.
The plant is designed to run on the absorb
ton principle with certain improvements on
the Carrs machine which materially increase
the economy. Although machines Of this
description have been in the Europeon mar
ket for a year, and nave been Introduced
with success In India and Australia, this Il
the first one built In America Since last
June Thomas F.. Rowland, Of Monitor fame,
has been engaged upon its construction
Tho principle Of operation Is familiar to all
those acquainted with the Carre machine.
In the generator is a quantity OF ammonium
hydrate, Familiarity known as spirits Of harts-
horn Through a coil Of pipe in the gener-
ator, stoam at q pressure Of ffty-four
pounds Is passed. This Is sufficient to evap-
crate the pure ammonia from the liquid into
gaseous form. This gas Is permitted to flow
into a cooler, where it surrounds a coil Of
pipes containing brine which is caused to
circulate through this coil and those In the
refrigerating closets The ammonia gas alb
serbs a large part Of the heat from this brine
by expanding in the cooler. The brine thus
NUrVon 0n n Q0unnvnr ~ fho kn.F -
from the refrigcrating closets and their con-
tents to the cooler, whore the heat is in turn
absorbed by the ammonia gas. After pass
ing through the cooler the gas goes into a
third vessel called the absorber, into which
the weak water" left after evaporation In
the generator has been allowed to flow. This
water being cooled by radiation, absorbs the
ammonia gas and forms ammonium hydrate
which Is pumped back into the generator
and the process is repeated.
This is essentially the method employed In
the Carrie machine. The main novelty and
improvement OF the apparatus described Is
In this, hat after leaving the absorber, the
ammonium hydrate is not returned directly
to tho generator, but is passed through a cyl
inder containing perforated trays. The me-
cbanical action Of these trays upon the liquid
as 1t passes through them frees about rs per
Q Of the ammonia gas, which Is used df-
reetly In the cooler; while only the remain
ing rs per cent has 70 be evaporated In the
generator.
The plant described was put in at a cost OF
about $4,000. It requires about 500 pounds
Of coal a day, and will produce ten tons OF
ice for every ton OF coal consumed. The to-
ta~lrunning expenses, including interest on first
cost, are about sl2 per day, while the equiv
alsnt amount OF ice at ruling prices would
coat about $50. The advantages are. economy,
~couvenisnce and reduced space occupied by
refrigsrating closets.