Improvements in the Process of Refrigeration and Refrigerating Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1893-Accepted, 29th July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process of Refrigeration and Refrigerating
Apparatus.
I, MARTIN WANNER, residing at 405 Kent Street, Denver, Arapahoe County,
Colorado, Metallurgist & Chemist 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in the process of refrigeration and to
improvements in refrigerating apparatus, by which the process may be practiced,
and it has special application to the refrigeration of cold warehouses-and the
refrigerator compartments in vessels, abattoirs, breweries and the like places;
it is also applicable to the manufacture of artificial ice, as will be hereinafter
described.
In my apparatus I employ carbon bi-sulphide in somewhat the same manner that
ammonia is now used, with however certain important differences, whereby I secure
marked advantages some of which are as follows:
In the use of aqua ammonia, the original cost of the apparatus is so great as,
practically to preclude its use, excepting under unusually favorable conditions,
consequently in the large majority of refrigerating plants now in operation, the
an-hydrous ammonia is employed, in the use of which, however, there are also very
grave objections; among them is the first cost of the plant, the same as in the case
of aqua ammonia, and in addition to this, the great difficulty of confining the
an-hydrous ammonia during transportation and during use in the plant; the cost
of the an-hydrous ammonia itself, the cost of the tanks to contain it in transporta-
tion, the transportation charges owing to the weight of the tanks, the liability
to accident consequent upon bursting of the tanks, the very heavy repair account
of the plant, resulting from the necessity for confining the material under heavy
pressure and also the expense in addition to those already suggested, necessitated
by the re-compression of the an-hydrous ammonia for re-use.
By the employment of my peculiar process and apparatus, I overcome many of
the objections recited above altogether, and others I measurably reduce; and
my apparatus is so constructed that after it is once set up and charged, its running
expenses are very small, all that is required being sufficient power to run an
exhaust pan or pump, and the cost of a small percentage of the material carbon
bi-sulphide, which may become lost through wastage.
Generally stated, my invention is as follows: I employ as the refrigerating
medium carbon bi-sulphide, and it is owing to the peculiar properties of this very
volatile substance, that I am enabled to employ my apparatus, whereby I secure
the results above suggested and the advantages claimed. These properties are as
follows:-
First, its volatility combined with its low "critical" pressure, i.e., the pressure
at which it will reliquefy after having been in a condition of vapor, in other words,
evaporated; this pressure, in the case of the carbon bi-sulphide, being only about
fifteen pounds to the square inch, i.e., about atmospheric pressure compared to a
pressure of 120 pounds to the square inch necessary for reliquefaction of an-hydrous
ammonia. Other advantages, i.e., the cheapness of the plant, low running
expenses &c., I secure by the very simple form of apparatus in which I employ the
carbon bi-sulphide. This apparatus, generally stated, consists in a series of tubes
or other devices, in which the carbon bi-sulphide may be evaporated, I prefer to
employ specially constructed devices in which the evaporation shall principally
take place, which somewhat resembles ordinary radiators for heating purposes.
It, however, is not necessary to employ them, a tube or pipe partly filled with

page_text: the carbon bi-sulphide or pan-like receptacles for it, or any equivalent device may
be used, but I will illustrate the said radiator-like devices in the drawings hereof
and describe them in this Specification because they exhibit a good form of device
for the purpose and for convenience I will call these devices "evaporators."
They are located in such places as desired in the chamber to be refrigerated and
are connected together by a pipe or air trunk which runs to an exhaust pan or
pump, whereby a vacuum more or less perfect may be generated in the evaporators;
I also supply pipes to convey the vapors or the re-liquefied vapors, as the case
may be, from the device which creates the partial vacuum, whatever its form may
be, back again to suitable receptacles or tanks in which the re-condensed by-sulphide
is collected for re-use. There are also small pipes connecting the said tanks with
the evaporating pans in the lower part of the evaporators. The above is a general
statement of the apparatus, and all that is required to run it is sufficient power to
operate the device which creates the vacuum, plus the replenishing of a small
percentage of the carbon bi-sulphide wasted through evaporation.
The care
of the plant is ordinarily not so great as that required for a steam or hot water
heating plant.
Referring to the drawings,
Figure 1, is a vertical section of a refrigerator building or cold storage house,
illustrating one arrangement of the device constituting my apparatus.
Figure 2, illustrates an elevation of one construction and arrangement of one
form of the condensing tank or reservoir and evaporator.
A, is the building. B, being the basement and C, the roof thereof. D, D, D &c.,
are the several floors. E, E &c., are the evaporators. One form in which they
may be made is seen at the left in Figure 2, that is to say; F is a pan or receiver,
which may resemble the base of an ordinary radiator, that is to say, it is a closed
metallic structure baving a series of threaded openings in its upper surface, into
which are threaded air tight a series of tubes G, G &c., which may strongly
resemble the vertical tubes of an ordinary radiator. At their upper ends, these
tubes are all connected with a pipe H; the method of connection may be the
same as that between the base and the tubes. Although the vertical tubes G
may resemble the tubes of a radiator, they are not necessarily double as radiators
ordinarily are, on the contrary, they may be single or double, and also they are,
each of them, as stated, connected with the pipe H, at their upper ends, which is
not usually the case with radiator tubes.
Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that there may be a number of the
evaporators, E, arranged along the wall or suspended from the ceiling, or otherwise
located in the chamber to be refrigerated, and that they are all connected together
by the pipe H which in the instance shown in the drawing, turns upwardly
near the rear wall of the building and connects with an exhaust fan, I, located
in the upper story. The pipe H opens into the lower end of a suction trunk J,
which opens at its upper end into the eye of the fan, I. K is a pipe which
connects with the delivery port of the fan, and it runs at an incline towards the
opposite side or front of the building, and thence descends through the several
floors and enters the upper end of the condensing tank or reservoir M.
· Referring now to Figure 2, the tank M and the incoming tube K and co-acting
parts are shown enlarged. N is a water supply pipe, which may connect with any
source of water supply. It opens within the reservoir, M. O is an overflow
pipe, which connects with any suitable drain, as for instance, the sewer in the
street. P is a pipe which may be quite small extending from near the bottom of
the reservoir, M to the bottom of the base F of the evaporator. It opens into
the interior thereof, and from the base, it, or one like it, marked Q, again extends
into the base of the next adjoining evaporator, and from it, in turn a similar
pipe R, extends to the next evaporator of the series.
It will thus be seen that all of the evaporators in the chamber or floor of the
building, part of the vessel or other room or space, which is to be refrigerated, are
connected at or near the upper ends of the vertical tubes, G, with a continuous pipe

page_text: or conduit which extends to the fan. That there is then a return pipe for the
vapors or re-liquefied vapors which is set at a downward inclination throughout its
entire length and opens into the condensing reservoir M, and that said reservoir is
provided with a water supply pipe and an overflow pipe, and that from it extends
a continuous supply pipe, P, Q, R, which connects the reservoir M, with each of
the evaporators in turn and supplies the base or pan of each of them with the
carbon bi-sulphide, it being in effect a continuous supply pipe for them.
I have illustrated and described the apparatus as placed in the first floor above
the basement of the building shown in the drawings. It is to be understood that
devices such as above described are placed in each of the floors of the building or
compartments or spaces in the vessel, brewery &c., which are to be refrigerated.
This is shown in the other floors of the building. Upon them, however, I do not
put reference letters in order that the drawings may be simplified and confusion
avoided. It will be noticed that the apparatus in each of the floors has its own
suction pipe H, and its own return pipe K, water supply N, reservoir M and
other co-acting parts. This is not essential, but I prefer to so arrange the devices,
so that if any derangement occurs in the apparatus in one floor, resulting from
repairs, fire or other causes, that the apparatus in other parts of the building may
still continue in successful operation, and in order that the deranged section of the
apparatus may be cut out, so to speak, from the system as a whole, I supply the
necessary valves, cocks, and like devices, which, however, are not illustrated,
because they are too well-known to require illustration or special description.
The operation of the apparatus as above described is as follows:
First, a quantity of carbon bi-sulphide, sufficient to fill each of the evaporating
pans or bases of the evaporators upon each floor, and also sufficient to partially
fill the tank M on each floor, say one-half full, is put into the apparatus on each
floor, and it will be noted by reference to Figure 2, that the overflow pipe O from
the tank M is located below the upper ends of the vertical pipes G of the
evaporators, consequently, never, under any circumstances can the carbon bi-sulphide,
which is fed to the bases F, by being placed in the tanks M, and allowed to flow
to them through the pipes, P, Q, R, reach a height sufficient to enter the pipes H,
because it will escape through the overflows O and into the sewer or other drain
before it can do so. This will be seen by reference to the projected water level S,
shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.
It is well known that liquid carbon bi-sulphide will when subjected to a con-
siderable vacuum evaporate so rapidly as to lower the temperature to a very low
point; consequently as soon as the base pans and reservoir have been charged
with carbon bi-sulphide, the fan or vacuum engine, I, is put into operation,
which, acting through the suction pipes or conduit, H, creates a partial vacuum
in that pipe and also in the vertical tubes G of the evaporators, and in fact in
all parts of the apparatus which are not filled with the carbon bi-sulphide,
thereupon it immediately commences to evaporate with rapidity, the rapidity of
its evaporation depending upon the degree of vacuum produced, and inasmuch as
this material carbon bi-sulphide is exceedingly volatile, even when under atmo-
spheric pressure, its volatility is enormously increased by even slight reduction of
atmospheric pressure, in other words, by even a slight vacuum consequently any
desired degree of evaporization, in other words, cold, may be produced depending
upon the rapidity with which the vacuum engine, in this case the fan, I, is run,
which will, of course, result in the production of a greater or less vacuum.
The
vapors of the carbon bi-sulphide, as soon as they pass into the vacuum engine or
fan, I, are subjected again to atmospheric pressure, in fact, in the fan itself they
are subjected to somewhat more than ordinary atmospheric pressure, because of
the crowding within the fan, consequently they at once commence to re-liquefy or
condense, not materially, however, under ordinary circumstances, until they have
passed into the return conduits or pipes, K; and since these conduits are placed at
an inclination in the upper story of the building, the vapors, as they condense will
flow by gravity to the upper end of the vertical portion of the conduits, seen near

page_text: the front wall of the building, down which they drop into the reservoir M and the
vapors which do not condense, if any, are blown through the conduits, K, until
they enter the reservoirs and there they come in contact with the cold water
supplied through the water pipes N, by which they are at once condensed, the
normal water level is maintained at S, there being a constant, although it may be
very small stream of water entering through the pipes N, and escaping through the
outlets O at all times; the volume of the water required will depend upon the
temperature of the carbon bi-sulphide, it being desirable to keep it at as low
temperature as may be. And also upon the work done in the plant, as it is
employed to deprive the recondensing vapors of their sensible heat, and at the
same time afford a cover to the liquid carbon bi-sulphide, and protect it against
evaporation in the air, while exposing the reservoirs to the pressure of the atmo-
sphere. From the reservoirs, M, the carbon bi-sulphide flows again through the
pipes, P, Q and R, to the bases or evaporating pans of the evaporators.
The operation of the devices upon each of the floors of the building, or in each
of the spaces to be refrigerated, as the case may be, is of course the same.
The details of construction and of arrangement of the various devices shown in
the drawings, form no essential part of my invention. I show this construction
and arrangement of the parts as an example only, or one form in which my inven-
tion may be constructed and arranged, so far as the apparatus is concerned, and
also one arrangement of apparatus by which the process may be practiced.
Changes may be made in almost every feature or device illustrated without
departing from the essentials. And as before stated, it is not essential that there
should be devices such as I have shown and described as the evaporator E, because
a simple pipe of suitable size to contain the carbon bi-sulphide, with an air space
above it, which may be exhausted, and a partial vacuum produced or any other
such device may be employed.
It will be obvious to those who are familiar with this art, that my invention,
both in its process and apparatus, is well adapted to the manufacture of artificial
ice, that is to say, sets or groups of the evaporators E, which may be modified in
shape as desired, or other devices suitable for the purposes, may be placed within
the brine tank, in which the vessel containing the water to be frozen will be
submerged in the ordinary way, and when the invention is used for this purpose, it
will ordinarily be desirable to make the conduits and all parts of the apparatus
specially air tight, so that, if desired, a high degree of vacuum may be secured,
which will result in intense cold and consequently more rapid freezing of the water
in the moulds. The apparatus, as ordinarily used in cold storage houses and similar
places, need not be absolutely air tight, because slight leakage of the air, so long
as it is not sufficient to materially affect the vacuum will not interfere with the
successful operation of the apparatus; this fact illustrates one of the reasons why
my apparatus is much less expensive in first construction, and also to maintain,
than the apparatus employing ammonia in any form, because in them any leakage
whatsoever in the apparatus is, first, a waste of material, and second, a serious
interference with the successful operation of the apparatus, if not destructive of it.
It will also be observed, that the volatile liquid which I employ, i.e., bi-sulphide
of carbon is of greater specific gravity than water and is insoluble in it, and also
that my reservoir is at the same time my condenser and that it is supplied with a
continually renewed column or body of water, which comes cold from some
outside source of supply. This arrangement of the parts results in the following
advantages First-none of the cold generated by the machine is required for the
condensation; on the contrary, it is supplied by the continually renewed cold water
which costs practically nothing. Second-I avail myself, not only of the low
temperature of the water for the purposes of condensation, but also of the pressure
exerted upon the vapors by the weight of the water column itself, due to its height,
and also the atmospheric pressure on the head of the water column, and of course,
to accomplish these results, I use a volatile fluid which has greater specific gravity
than water, and also which is not soluble in it, consequently I also secure the

page_text: sealing action of the water column, which naturally is superimposed over the
condensed liquid, the vapors of which, as they condense in direct contact with
the water, immediately precipitates.
·I claim,
1st. The method of refrigeration herein described consisting in subjecting a
volatile liquid of greater specific gravity than water and insoluble in it, to the
action of a vacuum, more or less perfect, moving the resulting vapors through the
apparatus, and condensing them by direct contact with a column of cold water
through which they rise till condensed, substantially as set forth.
2nd. The method of refrigeration herein described, consisting in subjecting a
volatile liquid of greater specific gravity than water and insoluble in it, to the
action of a vacuum, more or less perfect, moving the resulting vapors through the
apparatus, relieving them of the vacuum, and conveying them in vaporous or liquid
form, as the case may be, into direct contact with a column of cold water through
which they rise till condensed, substantially as set forth.
3rd. The method of refrigeration herein described consisting in subjecting a
volatile liquid of greater specific gravity than water and insoluble in it, to the
action of a vacuum, more or less perfect, moving the resulting vapors through the
apparatus, relieving them of the vacuum and conveying them in vaporous or liquid
form, as the case may be, in contact with a column of cold water open to the
atmosphere whereby they are condensed by the atmospheric pressure, also by the
pressure of the weight of water and by the temperature of the water, substantially
as set forth.
4th. The method of refrigeration herein described, consisting in subjecting a
volatile liquid of greater specific gravity than water and insoluble in it, to the
action of a vacuum, more or less perfect, moving the resulting vapors through the
apparatus, relieving them of the vacuum, conveying them, in vaporous or liquid
form, as the case may be, into direct contact with a column of cold water open to
the atmosphere whereby they are condensed by the atmospheric pressure, the
pressure due to the weight of the water, and the temperature of the same, and are
sealed against atmospheric contact by the said superposed column of water,
substantially as set forth.
5th. The combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a reservoir, containing the
refrigerating material, receptacles for the said material, connected with the
reservoir and in which the material may be exposed to the action of a vacuum
more or less perfect, a pipe connecting the said receptacle with the device which
produces the vacuum, said vacuum-producing device, and an overflow for said
reservoir located below the junction of said pipe with said receptacle, substantially
as set forth.
6th. The combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a combined condenser and
reservoir adapted to contain the refrigerating material and a column of water, a
cold water supply pipe and an overflow pipe, receptacles for said material connected
with the reservoir in which it may be subjected to a vacuum, a pipe connecting the
said receptacle with the device which creates the vacuum, said pipe being
constructed and arranged to draw the vapors from said receptacle, and connecting
therewith on a higher level than the overflow from the reservoir and condenser and
return pipes connecting the device which creates the vacuum with the reservoir
and condenser, substantially as set forth.
7th. The combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a combined condenser and
reservoir, adapted to contain the refrigerating material connected with the lower
part of the reservoir and condenser and in which the material may be subjected to
the action of a vacuum, a pipe connecting said receptacle with the device which
creates the vacuum, constructed and arranged to draw the vapors from said
receptacle and an overflow from said reservoir and condenser, to conduct away the
overflow of the cooling water, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 8th. The combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a combined condenser and
reservoir adapted to contain the refrigerating material and a column of cold water
comprising essentially a conduit or pipe for conveying the refrigerating material
into it, a pipe connected with an outside source of water supply, an overflow pipe
to conduct away the overflow of the cooling water, opening into the reservoir above
the mouth of the conduit or pipe through which the refrigerating material enters
the reservoir and a pipe connecting with the bottom of the reservoir and condenser
for conveying the condensed refrigerant to the place of its use, substantially as set
forth.
9th. The combination in a refrigerating apparatus of a reservoir containing the
refrigerating material, receptacles for the said material connected with the reservoir,
in which the material may be exposed to the action of a vacuum more or less
perfect, a pipe connecting said receptacles with the device which produces the
vacuum-producing device, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 10th der of Lun 1802
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.