Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1897-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM HAMPSON, M.A. Oxford, L.S.A. London, at present lodging at
No. 334 City Road, E.C., of Nannerch, Mold, North Wales, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This is an invention for diminishing the original cost, the attendance required,
and the wear and tear, and for increasing the efficiency, of refrigerating apparatus
of the kinds which work by causing substances to undergo changes of physical
stato as from liquid to vapour and nice versa.
Apparatus of the nature of injectors or ejectors is substituted for pumps or
compressors driven by motor engines and for absorbers, in order to exhaust,
compress, and liquefy vapours: the circulation is suitably rearranged and in the
case of compression machines a hot vaporiser is added to produce the necessary
pressure.
The following is a simple way of applying the invention in the case of an
ammonia-compression machine.
Steam or hot water or other beating agent is used to vaporise anhydrous
ammonia in a closed vessel which I call the hot vaporiser. The ammonia vapour
thus produced, which I call the live vapour, flows to an injector, wherein it. induces
a current of what 1 call the exhaust vapour, to be hereinaftor accounted for, with
which it mixes. The mixed vapour impinges in the injector upon cold liquid
ammonia, to be hereinafter accounted for, whereby it is condensed, and the
resulting liquid proceeds under pressure from the injector along a pipe. The
arrangements are such that the resulting pressure of the warm liquid leaving
the injector is higher than the pressure in the hot vaporiser. If a single or simple
injector is not able to produce the required pressure, successive or compounded
injectors are used, and the liquid is, if necessary, cooled between two successive
injectors. A portion of the warm liquid leaving the injector passes directly into
the hot vaporiser, to replace the live vapour which at the same time leaves the hot
vaporiser. The remainder of the liquid from the injector, goes to the cooler,
where it is reduced to the temperature of the cooling water. Part of this cooled
liquid is further cooled by the exhaust vapour, and then goes directly to the
injector. The remainder, after passing a regulating valve, is vaporised at reduced
pressure, and thereby cooled; it cools the chill room, and then passes, as exhaust
vapour, to the cooled liquid aminonin, which it further cools, and thence to the
injector. Non-return valves are fitted where necessary to prevent back flow.
The foregoing description applies also to carbon dioxide machines, and others of
a like kind.
The following arrangement is suitable for an ammonia absorption machine.
The live ammonia vapour from a hot vaporiser and separator, after a part of it
has, if necessary, gone to the injector, is cooled by the liquid leaving the injector,
and then goes to a water-cooler, to be further cooled and liquefied under pressure.
It then passes a regulating valve us a liquid, and having been vaporised and
thereby cooled in the chill-room, passes, as exlinust vapour, to the separated and
cooled water, which it further cools, and thence to the injector. The water in
which the ammonin had been dissolved, and from which it was separated by

page_text: heating in the hot vaporizer is cooled by the returning watery solution of ammonia
from the injector, and further cooled by the exhaust vapour, and previously, if
necessary, in a water-cooler. It then goes to the injector. In the injector, with
the help, if necessary, of live vapour, the cooled water and the exhaust vapour
condensed in the injector, obtain, as liquid, the pressure necessary to enable them
to enter the hot vaporiser. On its way to the hot vaporiser the liquid is heated by
the hot water and by the ammonia which have been separated from each other in
the hot vaporiser and separator.
Nou-return valves are fitted where necessary to prevent back flow.
Excessive pressure in the hot vaporiser may be prevented by automatically
cutting off the steam which heats it: the mechanism for this is actuated by the
vapour-tension of a liquid of suitable boiling-point exposed to the temperature of
the hot vaporiser.
It will thus be seen that in both forms of apparatus above described the injector
promotes the vaporisation of the liquid ammonia in the refrigerating coils, by
exhausting the vapour from them and it recoives this vapour in the form of
vapour that it compresses this vapour in the presence of cold liquid, and so
causes its liquefaction: that it receives cold liquid at the same pressure at which it
has to deliver thus it has neither to lift nor to force the liquid, but only to over-
come its circulating friction: that in the case of the ammonia absorption machine,
the injector, by taking the place of an absorber, and letting cold water dissolve
ammonia vapour within itself, takes advantage of the strong affinity between those
two substances to promote a forward pressure.
Dated this 25th day of April 1896.
I, WILLIAM HAMPSON, M.A. Oxford, L.S.A. London, late of No. 334 City
Road, London, now of 140 Minories, London, and of Nannerch, Mold, North
Wales, 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 is an invention for diminishing the original cost, the attendance required,
and the wear and tear, and for increasing the efficiency, of refrigerating apparatus
of the kinds which work by causing substances to undergo changes of physical
state as from liquid to vapour and rice versa.
Apparatus of the nature of injectors or ejectors is substituted for pumps or
compressors driven by motor engines and for absorbers, in order to exhaust,
compress, and liquofy vapours; the circulation is suitably rearranged and in the
case of compression inachines a hot vaporiser is added to produce the necessary
pressure.
The following is a simple way of applying the invention in the case of an
ammonia compression machine or machine in which the liquifaction of the ammonia
vapour is obtained by compression.
Steam or hot water or other heating agent is used to vaporise auhydrous
ammonia in a closed vessel which I call the hot vaporiser. The ammonia vapour
thus produced, which I call the live vapour, Hows to au injector, wherein it induces
a current of what I call the exhaust vapour, to be hereinafter accounted for, with
which it mixes. The mixed vapour impinges in the injector upon cold liquid
ammonia, to be hereinafter accounted for, whereby it is condensed, and the
resulting liquid proceeds under pressure from the injector along a pipe. The

page_text: arrangements are such that the resulting pressure of the warm liquid leaving
the injector is higher than the pressure in the hot vaporiser. If a single or simple
injector is not able to produce the required pressure, successive or compounded
injectors are used, and the liquid is, if necessary cooled between two successive
injectors. A portion of the warm liquid leaving the injector passes directly into
the hot vaporiser, to replace the live vapour which at the same time leaves the hot
vaporiser. The remainder of the liquid from the injector, goes to the cooler,
where it is reduced to the temperature of the co ling water. Part of this cooled
liquid is further cooled by the exhaust vapour, and then goes directly to the
injector. The remainder, after passing a regulating valve, is vaporised at reduced
pressure, and thereby cooled; it cools the chill room, and then passes, as exhaust
vapour, to the cooled liquid ammonia, which it further cools, and thence to the
injector. Non-return valves are fitted whero necessary to prevent back flow.
The foregoing description applies also to carbon dioxide machines, and others of
a like kind.
The following arrangement is suitable for an ammonia absorption machine, or
machine in which the liquifaction of the ammonia vapour is obtained by absorption
in water.
The live ammonia vapour from a hot vaporiser and separator, after a part of it
hne, if necessary, gone to the injector, is cooled by the liquid leaving the injector,
and then goes to a water-cooler, to be further cooled and liquified under pressure.
It then passes a regulating valve as a liquid, and having been vaporised and
thereby cooled in the chill-room, passes, as exhaust vapour, to the separated and
cooled water which it further cools, and thence to the injector. The water in
which the ammonia had been dissolved, and from which it was separated by
heating in the hot vaporiser is cooled by the returning watery solution of ammonia
from the injector, and further cooled by the exhaust vapour, and previously, if
necessary, in a water-cooler. It then goes to the injector. In the injector, with
the help, if necessary, of live vapour, the cooled water and the exhaust vapour
condensed in the injector, obtain as liquid, the pressure necessary to enable them
to enter the hot vaporiser. On its way to the hot vaporiser the liquid is heated
by the hot water and by the ammonia which have been separated froin each other
in the hot vaporiser and separator.
Non-return valves are fitted where necessary to prevent back flow.
Excessive pressure in the hot vaporiser may be prevented by automatically
cutting off the steam which heats it; the mechanism for this is actuated by the
vapour tension of a liquid of suitable boiling-point exposed to the temperature of
the hot vaporiser.
It will thus be seen that in both forms of apparatus above described the injector
promotes the vaporisation of the liquid ammonia in the refrigerating coils, by
exhausting the vapour from them and it receives this vapour in the form of vapour;
that it compresses this vapour in the presence of cold liquid, and so causes its
liquefaction that it receives cold liquid at the same pressure at which it has to
deliver: thus it has neither to lift nor to force the liquid, but only to overcome its
circulating friction that in the case of the ammonia absorption machine, the
injector, by taking the place of an absorber, and letting cold water dissolve
ammonia vapour within itself, takes advantage of the strong affinity between those
two substances to promote a forward pressure.
An additional means of guarding against excessive pressure if the ammonia be
overheated is to arrange the relative capacities of the various parts of the
apparatus and the quantity of ammonia, so that, if all the ammonia be emptied, by
boiling, out of the hot vaporiser, it can be contained in the rest of the apparatus.
This might be sufficient by itself without having an automatic cut-off for the
steam; and would be more reliable, as thore would be no moving parts to get out
of order.
The annexed drawings in Figure 1 shew ammonia compression apparatus and
Figure 2 an ammonia absorption machine in accordance with my invention.

page_text: In both figures A is a boiler from which steam passes to heat the ammonia or
liquor ammonia in the hot vaporiser. The return pipe to carry back the condensed
water has a break at B, so that the temperature of the steam, and therefore of the
ammonia, can never rise above 100° C. As a further safeguard against excessive
pressure in the bot vaporiser, the parts of the apparatus are of such relative
capacity, that if the hot vaporiser be boiled empty the rest of the system can
cuntain the whole of the liquid condensed within it. CD is the hot vaporisor,
from which live ammonia vapour under high pressure issues at C.
E is the injector, which may be louble or manifold or compounded according to
the nature and quantity of the work it has to do, the liquid, if necessary, being
cooled between successive injectors. Non-return valves are placed at on all
the pipes leading to the injector, and on that which leads to the hot vaporiser in
the compression machine. F is a coil cooled by dripping water. G is a valve
which controls the expansion of the liquid annionia, and H the coil in which
expansion and refrigeration takes place. The exhaust ammonia vapour returns by
the pipe K. L'is a temperature equaliser for the cold liquid and the still colder
exhaust ammonia vapour which are on their way to the injector. M is a supply of
cold water. The pipes marked contain liquid, those marked contain vapour.
Those marked are at high pressure, those marked e at exhaust pressure. In
Figure 2 showing the absorption machine, N is a temperature exchanger, in which
the warm solution of ammonia on its way from the injector to the hot vaporiser is
heated by the separated hot water and hot ammonia vapour from the hot vaporiser,
which it to some extent coole. O is a cold water tank containing a coil in which
the warm vapour from the temperature exchanger is further cooled and condensed
and still further cooled before passing to the expansion valve. In this machine
there is a non-return valve at the bottom of the temperature exchanger.
In the compression machine Figure 1 the injector is started by the passage of
high-pressure vapour through it to the low-pressure part of the apparatus. In the
absorption machine, Figure 2, there is no access from the injector to the low-
pressure part of the system, and a substitute is provided in the chamber P in which
the bigh-pressure vapour passing through the injector may he condensed. To
promote this condensation the chamber P and the pipe leading to it are enclosed in
cold water. The chamber P is placed high, so that when the apparatus is out of
use, and becomes cold, the condensed liquid can fall out of it through the
temperature-exchanger into the hot vaporiser, leaving the chamber empty and
ready to start the injector again.
The circulation in Figure 1 may be traced as follows:-As vapour the ammonia
leaves the upper part of the vaporiser C D and enters the injector E; here it
meets more anbydrous ammonia both vapour and liquid and all is delivered by the
injector as liquid under pressure. Part of this-liquid returns to the vaporiser CD,
the rest enters the cooling coil F and is cooled by the water which is applied to
the exterior of this coil. From the upper part of the cooling-coil some of the
liquid is allowed to escape past the regulating valve G into the coil H where it
vaporises producing the refrigeration required. This vapour is drawn off by the
injector as fast as it is generated, it passes through the coil in the temperature
equaliser L back to the injector E. The remainder of the liquid anhydrous
ammonia from the upper part of the cooling coil descends through the equaliser L
and this very cold liquid also enters the injector.
The circulation in Figure 2 may be traced as follows:-A portion of the
approximately anhydrous ammonia vapour leaving the hot vaporiser at the top
passes direct to the injector, the remainder passes down through the temperature
exchanger N and is partially cooled. It then descends through a coil in the water
tank O by which it is further cooled and it assumes the liquid form. The liquid
passes the regulating valve G and vaporises within the coil H producing the
refrigeration required. The vapour is drawn from the coil H by the injector.
The hot water leaving the lower part of the vaporiser CD is partially cooled by
passing downwards through the temperature exchanger N; then it is further

page_text: cooled by passing successively up through the water cooled coil F and down.
through the equaliser L where heat is taken from it by the exhaust ammonia
vapour; the water thus cooled reaches the injector. The injector delivers the
whole as liquor ammonia or it any vapour should pass the injector it is as already
explained condensed in a closed coil in the water tank O. The liquor ammoniæ is
beated by passing upwards through the temperature exchanger N and it thon
enters the hot vaporiser C D.
When once the expansion valve and injectors of these refrigerating machines
have been properly set the whole work of refrigeration can be done automatically
by merely heating the steam-boiler; they are without any moving parts to wear
out, or any valves to attend to except the cold water supply.
In these drawings the letters
nia or it any vapour should pass the injector it is as already
explained condensed in a closed coil in the water tank O. The liquor ammonia is
beated by passing upwards through the temperature exchanger N and it thon
enters the hot vaporiser C D.
When once the expansion valve and injectors of these refrigerating machines
have been properly set the whole work of refrigeration can be done automatically
by merely heating the steam-boiler; they are without any moving parts to wear
out, or any valves to attend to except the cold water supply.
In these drawings the letters
oh signify "high pressure vapour "
ve
th
"expanded vapour"
"high pressure liquid."
Flaring 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 :-
1. In refrigerating machines in which ammonia or other vapour is liquefied by
compression an injector operating with hot high pressure vapour produced in a
boiler or generator, a pipe circuit in which the injector maintains an endless.
circulation of the liquid under a pressure as high as that in the boiler or generator,..
coolers which cool the liquid whilst passing around the pipe circuit, a regulated
aperture by which a portion of the liquid escapes from the circuit and in
evaporating produces refrigeration, a passage by which the vapour returns to the-
injector, where it is liquefied and as liquid re-enters the circuit, and a connection
between the pipe circuit and the boiler or generator by which a portion of the
liquid leaves the circuit to replace in the boiler or generator that which passes out
B hot vapour to the injector."
2. Refrigerating machines such as herein described in which the circulation is.
maintained by and the vapour is liquelied in an injector operated by high pressure
vapour and also receiving cold liquid at the same high pressure.
3. In absorption machines, such as heroin described, injectors which exhaust the
expanded vapour from the refrigerating coils and within which this exhaust vapour
is brought into contact with water and which serves both to condense the vapour
and to force the liquid into the hot vaporiser.
4. In refrigerating machines in which injectors force liquid into the hot vaporiser,.
means for supplying euch injectors with cold liquid at the pressure which exists in.
the hot vaporiser.
5. Refrigerating machines substantially as herein described.
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 :-
1. In refrigerating machines in which ammouia or other vapour is liquefied by
compression an injector operating with hot high pressure vapour produced in a
boiler or generator, a pipe circuit in which the injector maintains an endless.
circulation of the liquid under a pressure as high as that in the boiler or generator,..
coolers which cool the liquid whilst passing around the pipe circuit, a regulated
aperture by which a portion of the liquid escapes from the circuit and in
evaporating produces refrigeration, a passage by which the vapour returns to the-
injector, where it is liquefied and as liquid re-enters the circuit, and a connection
between the pipe circuit and the boiler or generator by which a portion of the
liquid leaves the circuit to replace in the boiler or generator that which passes out
B hot vapour to the injector.
2. Refrigerating machines such as herein described in which the circulation is.
maintained by and the vapour is liquelied in an injector operated by high pressure
vapour and also receiving cold liquid at the same high pressure.
3. In absorption machines, such as heroin described, injectors which exhaust the
expanded vapour from the refrigerating coils and within which this exhaust vapour
is brought into contact with water and which serves both to condense the vapour
and to force the liquid into the hot vaporiser.
4. In refrigerating machines in which injectors force liquid into the hot vaporiser,.
means for supplying such injectors with cold liquid at the pressure which exists in.
the hot vaporiser.
5. Refrigerating machines substantially as herein described.
WILLIAM HAMPSON..