Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1891-Accepted, 20th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE POUR LA PRODUCTION
DU FROID (procedés E. Fixary), of 18, Avenue de l'Opera, Paris, France,
Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
1, HAROLD IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
In the Specification to Patent No. 23878 the thawing of the rime from the
circulating refrigerating pipes was described as being mainly effected by the
circulation of the comparatively warm air when arriving in the first compartment
of the refrigerating apparatus.
It has been further shewn by my correspondents that in cases where the
temperature of a locality requires to be maintained below 0° Centigrade the most
efficacious means for effecting this is to employ gases liquefied by compression as
the circulating medium.
The present invention relates to means whereby while the temperature of the
air to be refrigerated can be reduced to a very low degree, depending only on the
temperature at which the liquefied gas, such as ammonia or carbonic acid,
evaporates, the melting of the rime is effected by the refrigerating liquid itself
after compression.
The apparatus for this purpose consists of two compartments or chambers,
through both of which the air is made to circulate by the circulating fan under
normal working.
It will be readily understood that when the apparatus operates continuously on
a body of air maintained at a temperature below zero, very little rime will be
deposited on the refrigerating pipes, and it is only after a long time that the
deposited rime will attain a thickness that would appreciably interfere with the
energetic transmission of cold if it were not melted off."
The two before mentioned compartments each contain a set of coils of the
refrigerating pipes, the one set being arranged above the other, so that the gas or
vapour circulates from the lower set through the upper set. Both sets communi-
cate at the one end by a branched pipe provided with cocks with the pipe coming
from the vessel containing the compressed and refrigerated liquid, so that the gas
or vapour generated from such liquid entering through the branched pipe, circulates
through both sets of coils, the degree of expansion being regulated by the admission
cocks. At the other end these coils are connected by another branched pipe with
the pipe leading to the suction end of the compressing pump, so that the gas or
vapour after circulating through the coils passes off to the pump. The two
branches of the last named pipe also communicate by other branches provided
with cocks with the pipe leading to the discharge end of the compressing pump.
In normal working, the cocks on these last two branches are closed, while those
on the branches leading to the suction end of the compressor are open.
Assuming now that the upper set of coils is covered with rime, this is melted off
in the following manner. The cock on the branch connecting this set of coils with
the suction end of the compressor is closed, so as to prevent any expansion of the
gas in this set of coils, and the cock at the receiving end of these coils is also
closed; the cock on the branch leading from the discharging end of the coils to
the discharge end of the compressor is then opened, first only slightly and then
entirely. The warm compressed gas coming from the compressor is thereby caused
to enter and become further condensed and liquefied in the upper set of coils, at

page_text: the same time giving off its heat by melting the rime off them. When this takes
place, and a pressure gauge on the pipes shews that the liquefaction of the gas is
being effected, the communication with the vessel containing the liquefied gas at
the other end of the coils is closed, and the before mentioned cock on the inlet
branch of the upper set of coils is opened again. The liquefied gas formed in the
upper sets of coils will then flow down through the inlet branch into the lower set
of coils, where it expands.
When the melting of the rime on the upper set of coils is completed, the said
communication with the discharge of the compressor is closed again, and the com-
munication with the suction is opened; the apparatus then acts as first described
until the lower set of coils is coated with rime, whereupon the cocks on the several
branches of these coils are manipulated in the same manner as described with
reference to the upper coils for melting off the rime.
In order to utilize as much as possible the radiating surface of the refrigerating
coils, the chambers containing the same may be made to open at one end directly
into the room in which the air is to be refrigerated, while the conduit pipes and
cocks at the other end are enclosed in a passage or chamber. When the melting
of the rime is being effected in the one or other of the two chambers, the communi-
cation between this and the room is temporarily closed by a non-conducting screen
of felt or other suitable, material suitably arranged for convenient manipulation.
Dated this 16th day of August 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
I, HAROLD IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Patent Agent, 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 :—-
In the Specification to Patent No. 23878 the thawing of the rime from the
circulating refrigerating pipes was described as being mainly effected by the
circulation of the comparatively warm air when arriving in the first compartment.
of the refrigerating apparatus.
It has been further shewn by my correspondents that in cases where the
temperature of a locality requires to be maintained below 0° Centigrade the most.
efficacious means for effecting this is to employ gases liquefied by compression as
the circulating medium.
The present invention relates to means whereby while the temperature of the
air to be refrigerated can be reduced to a very low degree, depending only on
the temperature at which the liquefied gas, such as ammonia or carbonic acid,
evaporates, the melting of the rime is effected by the refrigerating liquid itself
after compression.
The apparatus employed for this purpose is shewn on the accompanying drawing
only so much of the complete refrigerating apparatus being shewn as is necessary
for explaining the nature of the invention.
Fig. 1 shews a cross section and Fig. 2a longitudinal section.
The apparatus is divided into two compartments A and B.
In the normal working, the air drawn in by the fan V circulates through the
two compartments A and B; the distributing flaps and are then in the
horizontal position.
It will be readily understood that when working continuously with air below
zero, this dry air will deposit very little rime, and it is only after a considerable
time that the layer of rime will attain a thickness that would interfere appreciably
with the energetic refrigerating action unless it were melted off.

page_text: The conduit Fig. 2 is the suction conduit of the compressor the conduit 2
communicates with the compression conduit of the compressor (not shewn) and is
branched upon the conduit connecting the compressor with the liquefier (also not
shewn); the conduit 3 represents the conduit for the supply of liquefied gas under
compression.
The coils of the refrigerator are arranged, as shewn at Figs. 1 and 2 in such
manner that the gas, in expanding, continuously circulates from below upwards.
The cocks and regulate the expansion of the vapour in the coils of the two
compartments. The gas, after having circulated in the coils is drawn off by the
exhaust conduit 1. Under normal working, when both compartments are in action,
the cocks EF which communicate with the compression conduit 2, are closed,
those G and H, which communicate with the exhaust, being open.
Assuming now that the coils of the upper compartment A be coated with rime
which it is desired to remove, this is effected as follows.
The flaps having been moved into the positions shewn in full lines at Fig. 2
the exhaust cock G is closed in order to stop the expansion of vapour in the coils
of compartment A, as is also the cock the compression cock E is then opened,
first slightly and then entirely.
The hot vapour from the compressor thus admitted to the coils of compartiment A
will first condense and then liquefy in these coils, thereby effecting the rapid melting
of the rime from the outer surface. When the rime begins to melt, and the pressure
gauge on the compression conduit 2 shews that the liquefaction has commenced,
the cock I of the conduit for the liquefied gas is closed, and the expansion cock c
is again opened. The liquid, instead of accumulating in the coils A will then
pass through the expansion cocks and d in expanding into the coils of the
compartment B.
When the melting of the rime is completed in A, the cock E is closed and the
exhaust cock G and expansion cock I are opened, and the apparatus again operates
in the normal manner until the coils of compartment B require to have the rime
melted off, whereupon these are operated upon in the same manner as described
with reference to the compartment A.
In order to utilise as much as possible the radiating surface of the refrigerator,
it may be arranged as shewn at Fig. 1, so that the whole of one side of the
refrigerator radiates directly into the room to be refrigerated; the opposite side,
where the tubes and cocks are situated, being situated in a passage or other room.
During the operation of melting off the rime, the radiating surface corresponding
to the compartiment where the rime is to be melted is covered with felt or other
suitable bad conductor of heat, arranged so as to be easily manipulated.
I do not claim generally the method of melting off the rime from the refrigerating
tubes by introducing therein the warm compressed vapours coming from the
compresser as this has already been described in Fixarys (Imrays) Patent No. 2387
of 1885.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In refrigerating apparatus the arrangement for melting the rime off the
refrigerating coils, consisting in dividing the refrigerating coils into two sets con-
tained in an upper and a lower compartment, through which the vapour in
expanding circulates from below upward, the coils of cach compartment being
connected by branches, having shut off cocks, firstly with the supply conduit for
liquefied vapour, secondly with the exhaust conduit leading to the compresser, and
thirdly with the compression conduit of the compresser, the melting the rime off
one set of coils being effected by closing the exhaust cock and the expansion
cock of the said coils and then opening the cock on the branch communicating
with the compression conduit, so that the warm vapour from the compresser will

page_text: enter such set of coils and in condensing and liquefying therein will melt off the
rime, whereupon the conduit for liquefied vapour is shut off from the second set of
coils and the liquid in the first named set is made to expand into the second set.
substantially as described.
10/1
ABEL & IMRAY.