Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-05
COMPETING WITH JACK FROST.
How Artificial Ice is Made-Enlarging
the Manufactures.

hk.N impetus has been given to the manu-
Mv facture OF artificial ice all over the
ASvcountry by the recent advance in the
Gl vprice 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
thirty years since the principles 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 in
genuity. In fact the threatening attitude of
the ice machine now holds sweeping
monopoly at bay and stands between a gigantic
ice trust and consumers of the frozen fluid
Ice companies are watching the progress of
ice-making with fear, and the company that
maintains Its old prices as far as possible will
be wise in its day and generation.
HOW ARTIFICIAL ICE MADE.
In order to understand the operation of ice
making by machinery it is necessary to COM
prehend some of the well-established pbe-
nomena of heat in its relation to gases. fluids
and solids. Air, for instance, IS the most COM
mon of gases. and. is well known. becomes
heated when compressed. In this compressed
state its heat can be more readily removed
than when in Its normal degree of expansion
Then. again. when allowed to re-expand it il
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 / 500 pounds per square inch, with a tenn
perature OF IS degrees Fahrenheit, when COM
pressed to one cubic foot will show a tempera-
ture of about 225 degrees Fahrenheit. After it
has been allowed to cool sufficiently to regain
Its normal temperature of IS degrees Fahren.
heit il may be allowed to re-expand to the orig.
1nal three cubic feet when its temperature will
fall to 25 degrees Observation-Disclosures freezing
and II permitted to lead into a receiver con-
tanning water the heat Of the water will be
drawn to the air, and If the volume of water ID
not too large 1t will soon be frozen in conse-
quence. or course greater degree of com.
preston will cause a correspondence lower
temperature in the re-expanding air and effect
q larger body OF water proportionately.
OTHER REFRIGERATIN6 AGENTS
There are other gases, however which are
far greater refrigerating agents than air; hence
the employment of ammonia and other chemi-
Gals by the various processes covered by pat
ents. The basis Of all operations, however. il
the heating of gases by compression, as in the
case of atmospheric air, and allowing il first to
cool and then to re-expand. This calls for
very powerful compression machinery, a cool
ing reservoir capable Of sustaining tremen-
dous pressure and proper conduts for the
protection Of the expanded air and very cold
gas.
EXPANSION OF PLANTS
The plants for manufacturing ice in WASH
ington, baltimore, Richmond and Petersburg
are being largely extended in capacity. The
Improvements in the Washington plant have
been fully described in THE STAR heretofore
The Baltimore company will soon have sixteen
new tanks i'll operation. These new tanks will
each make a block Of ice measuring ii by % by
"a inches, weighing 800 pounds.
The Petersburg factory turned out so 900
pounds daily last year. 1t is now putting
10000 pounds daily on the market, and esti-
mates have been made for machinery to add
still another lO0, 900 daily. Verify it il an i'll
ice famine that blows no one good.