Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-09-20
COMPETING WITH JACK FROST
How Artificial Ice Is Made-EnlarginG
the MRnufRC CtorieS

How Artificial Ice Is Made-Enlarging
the Manufactures.
An impetus has been given to the man
country by the recent advance in the
price of the natural product. New plants
are starting up here and there and old
ones are being redoubled and trebled in
capacity. improvements in ice making
machinery have made rapid strides every
year, increasing the yield, lessening the
cost, and cheapening the article 1t has
been upward of 80 years since the prin-
ciples involved came into practical and
commercial use, and the near future
will see the time when conditions will
be changed and the dealers in natural
ice will be struggling to compete with
the great cold crystal blocks, the product
of mans ingenuity. In fact, the threat
ening attitude Of the ice machine now
holds sweeping monopoly at bay and
stands between gigantic ice trust and
consumers of the frozen fluid. Ice COM
panies are watching the progress of ice
making with fear, and the company
that maintains it's old prices as far as
Grafton.
In order to understand the operation
of ice making by machinery it is neces-
sary to comprehend some of the well
established phenomena of heat in its re-
lation to gases, fluids and solids. Air,
for instance, is the most common of
gases, and, as is well known, becomes
heated when compressed. In this COM
pressed state its heat can be more readily
removed than when in its normal de-
gree of expansion. Then, again, when
allowed to re -expand it is in condition to
absorb a large amount of heat from any
solid or fluid with which it is brought in
contact. Hence, simple method of
freezing is produced by compressed air.
Thus, say three cubic feet of air at the
normal pressure of 1,500 pounds per
square inch, with temperature of rs
degrees Fahrenheit, when compressed to
one cubic foot will show temperature
of about 225 degrees Fahrenheit. After
it has been allowed to cool sufficiently
to regain its normal temperature of rs
degrees Fahrenheit it may be allowed to
re-expand to the original three cubic
feet, when its temperature will fall to
25 degrees Fahrenheit-belowf freezing
and if permitted to lead into receiver
containing water the heat of the water
will be drawn to the air, and if the
volume of water is not too large it will
soon be frozen in consequence. OF
course greater degree of compression
will cause a correspondingly lower tenn
perature in the re-eXpanding air and
effect a larger body of water proper
tionately.
There are other gases, however, which
are far greater refrigerating agents than
air; hence the employment of ammonia
and other chemicals by the various proc
esses covered by patents. The basis of
all operations, however, is the heating of
gases by compression, as in the case of
atmospheric air, and allowing it first to
cool and then to re-expand. This calls
for very powerful compression machin-
cry cooling reservoir capable of sus-
tanning tremendous pressure, and proper
conduits for the protection of the eX-
panded air and very cold gas.
The plants for manufacturing ice in
Washington, Baltimore, Richmond, and
Petersburg are being largely extended
in capacity. The Baltimore company
will soon have 16 new tanks in opera
ton. These new tanks will each make
block of ice measuring II by % by "a
inches, weighing 300 pounds
The Petersburg factory turned out
$4,000 pounds daily last year. 1t is now
putting 100000 pounds daily on the
market, and estimates have been made
for machinery to add still another 1O0,-
900 daily. Verify it is an ill ice famine
that blows no one good.