The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-06-17
THE lola ICE PLANT.
Something About the Interesting Pros
cess of Freezing Ice In
Summer.

Frank Riddle, next week. 1t Is To-
Gated near the Santa Fe depot and
switch will be run alongside so that
the surplus product may be shipped.
The capacity of the plant is about
Is tons daily, great deal more
than is demanded by the local trade,
but the surrounding territory gives
a large field for trade as there are no
plants nearer than Lawrence, Wichi-
ia, Independence and Fit. Scott. The
process is the ammonia process and 1t
is q very interesting one.
The center Of the plant is the large
S0-horse power, vertical Corliss en-.
CINE. This is driven by steam from
two huge boilers which draw their
water from the river in inexhaustible
quantities and are heated with gas
from the Gas Company's mains.
From the engine, double series of
pipes carry the water and ammonia
and the whole system is like the cir
culation of blood in the arteries and
veins and heart OF an animal.
The ice is frozen in large rectangu-
lar galvanized iron cans holding
about 800 pounds of ice, or 30 gallons
of water. There are 800 of these cans
and they are lowered into a huge
tank of brine. The tank Is Al feet
deep and is filled with water in
which eighteen tons OF salt have been
dissolved. This brine is kept at a
temperature of II degrees above zero
by the ammonia coils which run back
and forth through it like steam radi-
ators. There are about l6 of these
coils, each containing IL pipes which
extend the full length of the tank.
The ammonia keeps the brine below
the freezing point aud the brine takes
the heat out of the water in the cans
and freezes it solid. A pump keeps
the brine continually in motion, thus
equalizing the temperature through
out. This Is simple thing, but the
finesse comes in bringing pure water
into the cans and keeping ammonia
expanding through the coils.
The ammonia used is the pure an
hydrus ammonia and it is used over
and over, making a complete circuit
in the iron pipes. 1t starts from
reservoir under pressure of $50
pounds in the liquid form. 1t is al
lowed to expand under pressure of
10 pounds into the long coils which
pass through the brine surrounding
the ice cans. In this expansion from
liquid into a gaseous form the am
monia becomes cold and takes up the
beat from the brine. From these
coils, the ammonia lie pumped back
by huge pump and compressed by
a powerful compressor driven with
the full force of the engine. The
pressure heats it and it is forced up
to the very top of the building and
passed through coils over which cool
water is constantly running When
cooled it becomes liquid and returns
to the original reservoir. Thus it
continues working the circuit with
very little loss for years and never
comes in contact with the water.
The water which is frozen into ice
passes through more intricate pro-
cess. AT the Neosho river, a pump
capable of throwing thousands of
gallons minute, forces water through
pipe into pond near the plant,
From the pond it is pumped into the
boilers and Is utilized to run the en-
CINE. The exhaust from the engine
(the steam after Its force has been
used) passes through set Of coils
over which cool water runs and it is
condensed to the form of water again.
The water is boiled and skinned to
remove any foreign substance. 1t is
cooled again. then filtered thoroughly
and pumped to a tank from which
the supply is drawn for the cans.
This Is the water, rs near pure as
science can make it, which Is frozen
into ice. Galvanized iron pipes alone
are used for the water.
A travelling crane lifts the cans
when frozen solid, which takes about
30 hours, aud carries them to vat
where they are immersed in hot
water and the cake loosened from the
can. The cake shoots down an ill.,
cline into the refrigerator, the temp
erature of which is kept at the freez-
Ing point by coils through which the
brine is pumped.
An inexhaustible supply of free
water, of which 10000 is used daily
and inexhaustible gas for fuel of
which less than a dollars worth 10
required daily are two of the features
which assure the lola ice plant pros
perity. The plant is oparated by
four men, two at night and two in
the day. One tends the machinery