Refrigerating Machine.
Year: 1898

page_text: Refrigerating Machine.
I, FRANK ALLEN, Machinist, of No. 35, Degraw Street, in the City of New
York, Borough of Brooklyn and State of New York, United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:
This invention has reference to certain improvements in refrigerating machines
of that class which are known as absorption refrigerating machines of such type
as invented by Carre and in which ammonia or other liquifiable gas is separated
by heat from its aqueous solution condensed by pressure and cooled into liquid
condition and then evaporated so that the expansion of the liquid in gas form
abstracts heat and produces a lower temperature in the space to be cooled.
The object of my improvements is to produce the refrigerating operation by
a considerable economy in the fuel which is required to liberate the gas from the
liquid in which it is contained and to condense the gas in an economical and
effective manner by gradually abstracting the heat from the same and employing
said heat for heating up the cold and saturated liquid when it is returned to the
generator.
My improvement consists further in an improved system of expansion of the
liquified ammonia so as to produce an effective cooling action of the same and
utilization of the cold still contained in the expanded gases, and cooling and
liquifying the condensed ammonia gases, and to cool and expand the gases on
their way to the absorber in which they are mixed with the weak ammonia water
and pumped back into the generator.
The invention consists further of an arrangement of the interposition of jars
into the return pipe of the ammonia water, the discharge being connected by a
by-pass so as to prevent any back pressure from the absorber.
The invention consists further of certain details of construction which will
be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 represents a perspective view in elevation of the entire apparatus,
showing all the parts of the same,
Figure 2 is an elevation of the portion adjacent to the generator in which the
heat is abstracted from the hot gases liberated from the water in the generator
so as to prepare for the condensation of the same, and
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the system of expanding pipes, parts being
broken away to show the interior arrangement of the system of cooling pipes
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

page_text: A represents the generator, or still, which is charged with commercial aqua
ammonia. The generator is heated up by a coil a, through which live steam is
circulated, the heat of the same liberating the ammonia-vapors from the liquid,
the vapors escaping through an upright section A¹ which is connected by a pipe ai
with a primary heating and cooling coil B in which the interior coil a forms a
continuation of the pipe a¹, while the exterior pipe b serves for the passage of
the strong aqua ammonia that is returned from the absorber by a suitable pump.
The strong aqua ammonia has a low temperature and is conducted in a counter-
current to the hot ammonia gases through the primary heating and cooling coil B,
the end of the outer coil b being connected to the supply pipe b¹ that connects
with the pump P. The cooled ammonia vapors are then conducted through a
small pipe a to a condenser C which is cooled by cold water that is supplied by
a spray-pipe above the coil of the condenser as shown in Figure 1. From the
condensing coil C, the cold vapors are conducted by a pipe a to an upright coil d
that is arranged in a preliminary cooler D in which the ammonia-vapors are
cooled by the gases expanded in the central coil d' by which the temperature
in the cooling tank D is lowered so that the ammonia vapors are liquified and are
conducted by a pipe as to a jar J in which the liquified ammonia is collected.
The ammonia-vapors are thus gradually cooled down to liquefaction, first by
the primary heater and cooler B, then by the action of the condenser C, and
finally by the action of the cooling tank D, so that in this manner an effective
liquifying of the gas is obtained.
From the jar containing the liquified ammonia the same is permitted to expand
by means of two expanding pipes and a', provided with stop-cocks, into a
system of expanding pipes e e, which are arranged in the brine-tank E, and
which are provided at their ends with horizontal manifolds e¹ to which the
expanding pipes are connected. The manifolds at the outgoing ends of
the two systems of pipes are again connected by pipes a and a with a coil d
in the cooling tank, said coil serving to absorb the cold contained in the expand-
ing gases after the cooling action of the same has been utilized in the brine-
tank. The cold still contained in the expanding ammonia-vapors serves to chill
the gases passing through the coil d on their way to the jar J and reduces also
the temperature of the weak ammonia-water that passes through a third upright
coil that is arranged in the cooling tank I) and which is supplied from a weak
water cooler F that is located between the condenser C and absorber H. The
weak ammonia water cooler F is also arranged in the form of a coil in the same
manner as the condenser and supplied with cooling water by a water spray-pipe
arranged above the same. The weak ammonia water is supplied from the gene-
rator by the pressure at the interior of the same, the weak ammonia water rising
in a pipe f provided with a stop-cock fl and passing through a secondary heat-
ing and cooling coil I, the weak ammonia water pipe being at the interior of said
coil while the outer coil carries the strong ammonia water that is returned from
the primary heating and cooling coil B being connected by a pipe as shown
in Figures 1 and 2. The hot and weak ammonia water gradually gives off its
heat to the strong aqua ammonia returned from the absorber by the pump so as
to heat the same preliminarily in its return into the generator. The weak
ammonia water is still further cooled on its way back to the weak water cooler F
by being conducted through an auxiliary cooling tank F¹ to which cold water
is supplied by a suitable supply-pipe which water is heated up by the weak
ammonia water and then conducted to the boiler so that the auxiliary cooling
tank Facts in the nature of a feed-water heater for the boiler. From the coil
of the auxiliary cooling tank F1, the weak ammonia water is conducted through
a pipe to the lower end of the weak ammonia water cooler, then passed through
the same so as to be subjected to the further cooling action of the same and
then conducted by a pipe f³ connected with the upper part of the weak-water
cooling coil to the coil in the cooling tank D and then returned by a pipe f
and pipe f to the absorber H. The weak ammonia water conducting pipe f

page_text: is connected at its point of juncture with the pipe with a pipe that conducts
the cold ammonia vapors back to the absorber. The absorber H is subjected
to the cooling action of a spray of water arranged at the upper part of the same
in the same manner as those of the condenser and weak ammonia-water cooler, so that
the weak ammonia-water absorbs the ammonia-vapors at a low temperature.
The supply-pipe fo connects with the lower end of the absorber, the upper part
of the same being connected by a pipe h with the pump P, by which the circu-
lation of the strong ammonia-water and its return to the generator is kept up.
In the return-pipe h by which the strong ammonia water is conducted by the
pump back to the generator, are interposed two cylindrical jars L which are
arranged vertically above each other and which are connected by a vertical pipe /,
and further by a by-pass pipe 1 which connects the upper end of the upper jar
with the upper end of the lower jar L. The purpose of the upper jar is that
it acts as a break on the fall of the strong ammonia from the absorber to the
lower jar, thus preventing too great a suction which would cause the absorber to
be emptied. The by-pass acts as a relief by enabling any gas that may accumu-
late in the lower jar to pass up through the by-pass into the upper jar, thus
insuring a steady supply of strong ammonia from the absorber. It also acts as a
condenser by causing the gas to be condensed as it passes from the by-pass into
the upper jar by coming in contact with the cold ammonia as it passes from the
absorber to the jars.
The exhaust-steam from the pump P is conducted through a pipe p to an
exhaust-steam heater M to which also the steam from the live steam coil a of
the generator A is conducted by a pipe p¹. The exhaust-steam and the return
steam from the coil a fills the exhaust-steam heater M and heats thereby the
strong aqua ammonia which is returned by the pump P through the two heat-
ing and cooling coils B and I, which is passed through a coil m arranged in the
exhaust steam heater M and then returned into the upright tank A' by means
of a pipe m' and then back into the generator.
It appears from the foregoing that the hot ammonia vapors are subjected to a
gradual cooling action on their way to the condenser and liquifying jar, first in
the combined heating and cooling coil B, then in the condenser C, and finally
in the coil located in the cooling tank D. the gradual reduction of temperature
taking place in three successive steps. The weak ammonia water is likewise
cooled by being subjected to four successive cooling actions, first, in the com-
bined heating and cooling coil I, then in the auxiliary cooling tank F, next in
the cooling coil F and finally in the coil located in the cooling tank D. In the
same manner the weak ammonia water, after it has absorbed the ammonia-vapors
in the absorber, is gradually raised in temperature on its way back to the gene-
rator in three steps, by being successively passed through the heating and cool-
ing coils B and I and the exhaust-steam heater M, so that thereby on one side
the heat of the liberated ammonia-vapors and of the weak ammonia-water is
utilized in an effective manner in heating up the cold strong ammonia water on
its return to the generator while on the other hand the cold still contained in
the vapors expanded from the liquified ammonia is utilized in the cooling-tank D
for cooling purposes. Likewise the heat of the exhaust-steam from the pump
and the return live steam in the generator is utilized in the exhaust-steam heater
for the final heating of the strong ammonia-water, all these steps together tend-
ing to an economy of fuel and to the more effective working of my improved
refrigerating plant inasmuch as a very economical transference of the heat-units
from the hot vapors and weak ammonia-water to the cold vapors and strong
ammonia-water is produced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination of a generator provided with heating devices, a pump for

page_text: returning the strong water of ammonia to the generator, an exhaust-steam heater
connected with the exhaust port of the pump-engine and with the steam coil
in the generator, and a coil in said exhaust-steam heater through which the strong
ammonia water is passed on its return to the generator so as to be heated up to
the required high temperature, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, of a generator, provided with heating devices, an escape
pipe for the liberated ammonia-vapors, a second escape pipe for the wrak ammonia
water, a primary heater and cooler comprising an interior and an exterior coil,
respectively for the ammonia-vapors and strong ammonia water, the
interior coil being connected with the escape pipe for the ammonia-
vapors, a pump for returning the strong ammonia-water, a pipe connect-
ing said pump with the outer coil of said primary heater and cooler, a secondary
heater and cooler, comprising an interior and an exterior coil, a pipe connect-
ing the exterior coil of the primary heater and cooler with the exterior coil of
the secondary heater and cooler, said interior coil of the secondary heater and cooler
being connected with the escape pipe for the weak ammonia water and a return
pipe for the strong ammonia-water, connecting the exterior coil of the secondary
heater and cooler with the generator, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination, of a generator provided with heating devices, an escape
pipe for the weak ammonia water, a secondary heater and cooler comprising
an interior coil and an exterior coil for the weak and strong ammonia-water
respectively, said escape pipe being connected with said interior coil, a steam
heater, a coil in the same connected at one end with the said exterior coil, an
auxiliary cooling tank, a coil in said tank connected with the interior coil of
the secondary heater and cooler, a cooler for the weak ammonia water connected
with the coil in the cooling tank, a primary heater and cooler comprising an
interior coil and an exterior coil respectively for the liberated ammonia-vapors
and the strong ammonia water, an escape pipe for said vapors, connecting the
generator with the interior coil of the primary heater and cooler, a pump, a pipe
connecting said pump with the exterior pipe of said primary heater and cooler
a pipe connecting the exterior coil of the said heater and cooler with the exterior
coil of the secondary heater and cooler, and a return pipe for the strong ammonia
water, connecting the coil in the steam heater with the generator, substantially
as set forth.
4. The combination, of a generator provided with suitable heating devices, an
escape-pipe for the hot ammonia-vapors, a primary heater and cooler, comprising
an interior coil for the hot ammonia-vapors and an exterior coil for the strong
ammonia-water, a condenser connected with the interior coil of the said primary
heater and cooler, a secondary heater and cooler comprising an interior coil for
the weak ammonia water, and an exterior coil for the strong ammonia-water, an
escape pipe connecting the generator with the interior coil of the secondary
heater and cooler, a pipe connecting the exterior coils of the primary and secondary
heater and cooler, a steam heater, a coil in the latter connected at one end with
the said exterior coil of the secondary heater and cooler, a cooler for the weak
ammonia-water, connected with the interior coil of the secondary heater and
cooler, an auxiliary cooling tank, a coil in the same for the expanded ammonia-
vapors, a second coil in said tank connected with the condenser, a third coil
connected with the cooler for the weak ammonia-water, an absorber connected with
the first and third coil of the auxiliary cooling tank, a pump, a pipe connecting the
absorber with the pump, means connected with the last pipe for preventing too
great suction or absorption, a pipe connecting the pump with the exterior coil
of the primary heater and cooler, and a return pipe connecting the coil in the
steam heater with the generator, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination, with an absorber, of a pump for returning the strong
ammonia-water from the absorber back to the generator, a pipe connecting the
absorber with said pump, two jars located vertically one above the other in said

page_text: return-pipe, a direct pipe connecting said jars, and a by-pass pipe connecting
the upper ends of one jar with the other, said jars and by-pass pipe preventing
the undue suction of the pump on the absorber, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of June 1898
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.