IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR COOLING AIR FOR COOLING AND VENTILATING PURPOSES
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alfred Vincent Newton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th November 1874.-A communication from abroad by Captain
T. J. Willans, Royal Engineers, a person travelling abroad.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE
OF AND APPARATUS FOR COOLING AIR FOR COOLING AND VENTILATING PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the compression of air by and in the presence
of water, whereby it will while undergoing compression be robbed of a
great part of its latent heat, and in consequence will on its liberation be
applicable for cooling and ventilating.
The means adopted are, firstly, to compress air by water under pressure
derived from a head or equivalent source. The water may be conducted
by a pipe into a closed vessel containing air and discharged therein in
the form of a shower or otherwise. In this vessel the air should be

page_text: retained until compressed to a degree corresponding with the amount of
head or pressure of the water.
Secondly, the useful effect of a head of water for compressing air as
above may be increased by admitting air under pressure to the upper
level of the water in such manner that the pressure of the water at the
bottom of the pipe is increased more or less in accordance with the
amount of air pressure so applied. This may be done by having the
upper part of the water pipe communicating with a closed water tank or
vessel containing water into which compressed air is admitted.
Taps and valves will be required for adjusting the passage of the water
and of the air, and these may be made self-acting by means of a float
and connecting rods or equivalent mechanism, operated by the rise and
fall of the water supplied to either or both vessels, or to chambers in
connection therewith.
The Invention, thirdly, includes the application of the air compressed
as first described, to the head of water as secondly described, previous to
its being liberated for cooling or ventilating purposes. To this end an
air receiver is provided, which being connected with the upper part of the
air compressing vessel, and with the vessel charged with the head water
will by suitable valves be supplied from time to time with compressed
air from the air vessel and discharge it on to the head water, thereby
adding to the effective weight of the head water, and consequently
increasing the pressure in the air compressing vessel. When the
required degree of compression is attained, the compressed air is allowed
to discharge into the receiver, and a fresh supply of air is admitted to
the compressing vessel, the water simultaneously finding an outlet at
the bottom of the vessel, and thus the process may be repeated. The air
that has undergone compression will conveniently be drawn off for use
from the vessel containing the head water after it has acted as an
auxiliary to the water in compressing air in the air compressing
chamber.
Instead of only one air compressing vessel, worked intermittently, two-
or more may be employed so as to furnish a constant stream of com-
pressed air. Also the air under pressure which is admitted on to the head
water for increasing its efficiency, as secondly described, may be derived
from any other suitable source instead of from the air compressing vessel.
as thirdly described, such as from another and distinct air compressing

page_text: apparatus. This will allow of highly compressed air accumulating in
the air receiver being taken out directly from that vessel and used
for cooling water to and below the freezing point.
As this method will require more compressing power, it is preferred,
for ordinary cooling and and ventilating purposes, to allow the compressed
air from the air receiver to act on the head of water before it is
discharged for usc. The air so compressed may be made to issue from
jets into air passages, and thus carry atmospheric air along with it for
intermixture therewith into chambers wherein it may be utilized for
cooling and ventilating.
Before the air that has undergone compression is used for cooling or
ventilating it may be passed over or in contact with substances that
have an affinity for moisture, such as chloride of calcium, or sulphuric
acid, in order to render its cooling properties the greater.