Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 28th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 2nd June, 1899
Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
We, HENRY LYON, of 38, Whitevale Street, in the County of Glasgow, North
Britain, Electrical Engineer, and JOHN BURRELL TALBOT-CROSBIE, Scotstoun
House, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows, that is to say:-
Our said invention relates to refrigerating apparatus in which ammonia is
employed, and it comprises improvements in the construction and arrangement
of the apparatus which consists of a series of closed vessels suitably connected and
including a generator and an absorber which are not interchanged as in some
existing apparatus.
The generator and absorber are preferably cylindrical and placed horizontally
or vertically the absorber being at a higher level than the generator. Heat is
applied in the generator either by means of a pipe through which steam is passed,
or by means of an electrical heater; and the vessel is encased in a shell packed
with a material which is a bad conductor of heat. The upper part of the generator
is connected by a pipe to the lower part of a vessel termed a rectifier which is
heated by a steam jacket and in which ammonia vapor entering it from the
generator separates from traces of water which returns to the generator. From
the rectifier the ammonia vapor passes through a pipe to a worm condenser or
other condenser in which it is acted on by cold water so as to become cooled and
liquefied.
!
The condensed ammonia is employed in the ordinary way so as by its expansion
in tubing immersed in brine or the like to produce refrigeration; and the vapor
next passes into the absorber. The absorber is provided with an internal pipe
coil and with an external jacket through which cold water is passed. At the
commencement of an operation the absorber will be partly filled with water or
with a weak solution of ammonia, there being then in the generator a strong
solution of ammonia. During the operation the solution in the generator becomes
weakened whilst that in the absorber becomes strengthened; and when the
operation has been continued as long as is considered desirable, the strong
solution in the absorber is run through a stopcock and pipe into an intermediate
ressel. There is then opened a stopcock on a pipe which extends from the
absorber down to the lower part of the generator, whereupon owing to the excess
of the pressure in the generator over that in the absorber, the weak solution in the
former is transferred to the latter. Finally a stopcock in a pipe connecting the
intermediate vessel with the generator is opened and the strong solution is run
into the generator ready for a fresh operation.
Automatic apparatus may be employed for opening and closing the stopcocks
at such intervals as are found suitable in practice. Electro magnets may be

page_text: arranged to move the stopcock levers, and may be actuated by means of contact
points on a rotating disk turned by clockwork, or by means of the electric current
itself.
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1000
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.
Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
We, HENRY LYON, of 38, Whitevale Street, in the County of Glasgow, North
Britain, Electrical Engineer, and JOHN BURRELL TALBOT-CROSBIE, Scotstoun
House, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, 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, that
is to say:
Our said invention relates to refrigerating apparatus in which ammonia is
employed, and it comprises improvements in the construction and arrangement
of the apparatus which consists of a series of closed vessels suitably connected, and
including a generator and an absorber which are not interchanged as in some
existing refrigerating apparatus.
!
Our improved apparatus is shown on three accompanying sheets of explanatory
drawings, Figure, 1, being a plan, Figure, 2, an end elevation, and Figure, 3, a
vertical section.
1
The generator, G, and absorber, A, are cylindrical vessels placed horizontally,
the absorber being at a higher level than the generator. Heat is applied in the
generator, G, through a pipe, S, through which steam is passed, or an electric
heater or other known heating appliance may be used; and the vessel is encased
in a shell packed with a material, H, which is a bad conductor of heat. The
upper part of the generator, G, is connected by a pipe, B, to the lower part of a
vessel, R, termed a rectifier, which is kept at a moderate temperature by a water
jacket, J, and in which ammonia vapor entering it from the generator, G,
separates from traces of water which return to the generator. From the recti-
fier, R, the ammonia vapor passes through a pipe, D, to a worm condenser or other
condenser, C, in which it is acted on by cold water so as to become cooled and
liquefied.
The condensed ammonia is employed in the ordinary way so as by its expansion
in tubing, T, indicated by dotted lines, immersed in brine or the like in a
tank, U, to produce refrigeration, the ammonia proceeding from the condenser, C,
by a pipe, V, having on it a regulating stop valve, W, to the expansion tubing, T.
From the expansion tubing the ammonia vapor passes by a pipe, X, into the
absorber, A, which is provided with an internal pipe coil, Y, and with an external
jacket, Z, through which cold water is passed.
At the commencement of an operation the absorber, A, will be partly filled with
water or with a weak solution of ammonia, there being then in the generator, G, a
strong solution of ammonia. During the operation the solution in the generator, G,
becomes weakened because of the evaporation of the ammonia, whilst that in the
absorber, A, becomes strengthened by absorbing ammonia vapor from the expan-
sion tubes, T; and when the operation has been continued as long as is desirable,
the strong solution in the absorber is run through a stopcock, E, and pipe, F, into
an intermediate vessel, I. Then there is opened a stopcock, K, on a pipe, L, which

page_text: extends from the absorber, A, down to the lower part of the generator, G, where-
upon owing to the excess of the pressure in the generator over that in the absorber,
the weak solution in the former is transferred to the latter. Finally a stop-
cock, M, in a pipe, N, connecting the intermediate vessel, I, with the generator
is opened and the strong solution is run into the generator ready for
fresh
operation.
The intermediate vessel, I, has connected to it a pipe, a, with branches, b, c,
connected to the absorber, A, and to the generator, G, the branches having stop
valves, d, e, these connections being for equalising the pressures. Thus when the
solution is being transferred from the absorber, A, to the intermediate vessel, I,
the upper valve, d, is opened the lower one, e, being closed, and when the solution
is being transferred from the intermediate vessel, I, to the generator, G, the
upper valve, d, is closed, and the lower one, e, opened.
The vessels pipes and stop valves may be made of any suitable metal; and the
vessels may be cylindrical or of any other convenient simple form.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
-
In apparatus for refrigerating by the evaporation, condensation, expansion, and
absorption of ammonia, the combination of parts pomprising a generator or
vessel for heating and evaporating a strong solution of ammonia, a condenser
connected by a pipe to the generator, expansion tubing connected to the con-
denser and immersed in brine or the like, an absorber placed at a higher level
than the generator and connected to the expansion tubing, an intermediate
vessel connected to the absorber to receive the solution of ammonia therefrom
a, pipe connecting the absorber and generator for transferring the weak solution
from the latter to the former, a pipe connecting the intermediate vessel with
the generator, stop valves on the various connecting pipes means for heating the
generator, and means for cooling the absorber, all arranged and operating sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of April 1899
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.