Improved System for the Safe Storage, Transport, and Use of Liquid Air.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 23rd June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved System for the Safe Storage, Transport, and Use of Liquid
Air.
We, CÉLESTE JOLY, Inventor Engineer, 318, City Road, London, E.C., and
EDWIN JOSEPH RICHARDSON, Dentist, 41, Brook Street, London, W., do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
Liquid air is a substance obtained by subjecting air to an exceedingly great
pressure or to an exceedingly low temperature. Up to this day, the progress in
the manufacture of liquid air, its preservation in the liquid state and its uses
generally has been very slow owing to the fact that no vessel unless of prohibitive
cost can withstand the enormous pressure and it cannot practically be liquefied
by cold because the exceedingly low temperature of 155 degrees Centigrade and
even more under the freezing point of water is not easily obtainable. Over above
this, the power given by the expansion of the gases formed by the gasification of
the liquid air under the influence of the heat of the atmosphere cannot be used
for practical purposes because the pressure is so tremendous that no engine of
reasonable strength, weight and cost could stand it and there exists practically
no mechanism now in existence by means of which the gas could give its full
amount of expansive energy. Therefore liquid air has not yet been used for the
storage of power nor of cold nor for any practical purpose.
According to the natural laws of latent heat, when compressed air liquefies, a
very great quantity of heat is given off and unless there is a sufficient supply of
cold the tension becomes so very considerable that it is most dangerous and
when the liquid gasifies again, the gas thus formed absorbs a quantity of heat
equal to the quantity given off at the time of liquefaction and the cold thus pro-
duced is most intense. Although cold is used for many useful purposes this cold
is, under the above circumstances, so very intense that it is of no use at all
because it would spoil everything cold is usually used to preserve.
Our invention is an improved system by which air can be made to liquefy at
any desired pressure, stored into cases or other receptacles and maintained therein.
at any desired temperature, transported with perfect safety and used for pro-
ducing power and cold or for any other purpose.
It comprises every variety of method of constructing cases or other receptacles
in which liquid air is preserved in the liquid state by means of stored and insulated
cold, maintained at a constant tension by a maintenance or safety valve or any
other suitable mechanism so as to enable it to maintain a constant degree of cold
or give a regular supply of power or in which liquid air is insulated so as to
hinder the heat of the atmosphere from acting upon it and enable it to preserve the
temperature at which it remains liquid under the pressure maintained by a
maintenance or safety valve.
Whenever a liquid passes into the solid condition, it absorbs a very great
quantity of latent cold which is given back again when the substance melts again
and as long as there remains the least amount of solid in the liquid, the degree of
cold remains the same, equal to the melting point of the substance used.

page_text: Supposing now that the pressure we want is equal to the pressure of the gas
formed by liquid air at a temperature of say 100 degrees Centigrade below freez-
ing point, we store the liquid air in a vessel able to stand that pressure, we sur-
round that vessel with another one filled with alcohol and we insulate the whole so
as to hinder the external heat from entering into our case. A part of the air
will at once evaporate and thereby absorb a great quantity of heat. The tem-
perature is so much lowered that the alcohol freezes. Once the whole alcohol is
frozen, the air stops gasifying and remains in the liquid condition because the
alcohol cannot absorb any more cold and the external heat cannot enter. A
valve hinders the gas from escaping from the vessel as long as its tension has not
reached the required power so that both the temperature and the pressure are
latent and constant.
When we use liquid air to maintain cold in cases or other contrivances for the
preservation of goods in a frozen condition or for any other freezing, cooling or
preserving purpose, we use a liquid that solidifies at the temperature we require,
we surround the vessel containing the liquid air, which must therefore be strong
enough to stand the pressure of the air at that temperature, with another vessel
in which the liquid is put and we insulate the whole with a suitable material.
A valve allows the air to escape into the atmosphere when the pressure augments.
Once the whole liquid is frozen the contents of the case remain at the temperature
required but as there is no such thing as a perfect insulator and also because it
is sometimes necessary to open the case from time to time, a certain quantity of
heat must enter and a portion of the ice formed by the evaporation of the liquid
air melts. The pressure augments into the liquid air vessel and a quantity of gas
escapes in forcing the valve to open the way. The gas thus formed absorbs the
surplus heat and the cold is maintained and as long as the whole of the liquid air
is not gasified, the temperature cannot change and after it is all gasified, the ice
it has formed will still be sufficient for preserving the cold for a reasonable
amount of time. A case of one cubic yards capacity insulated with two inches
thick of slag wool and containing one cubic foot of liquid air and four cubic
feet of liquid solidifying at 20 degrees Centigrade below freezing point should
easily be able to preserve its contents at the above said temperature for from six
to twelve months.
It is not limited to any particular shape and the drawings which represent
different ways to manufacture cases for storing liquid air and preserving goods in
a frozen condition are only given to show how it can be succesfully carried out.
Fig. 1 represents a case for storing liquid air for producing power. When the
valve is closed, the end of the pipe P is connected with another pipe which
communicates with the contents of the vessel in which the air is liquefied or
preserved in its liquid state at the factory. After it has been safely connected,
the valve is opened and the vessel is filled with the liquid and the valve is closed
again. The vessel a is surrounded with another vessel containing the insulating
material I. M is a pressure maintenance valve. If the temperature of the liquid
is too high, the tension of the gas is of course too great also, it forces the valve M,
which may resemble
any ordinary safety valve, to open and the surplus gas escapes.
The gas which escapes absorbs a very great quantity of heat from the liquid
and as the external heat cannot enter, both the temperature and the tension of
the liquid air are always the same. The case can then be transported to any place
with perfect safety, the pipe P is connected with the engine the liquid air is to
move and the valve V is open when the mechanical energy is required.
For
engines of ordinary power, it does not matter that the case should remain insulated
but if a great quantity of power is required all at once, it will be preferable to
provide the case with a removable bottom so as to allow the atmosphere to supply
the heat absorbed by the gases formed.
Fig. 2 shows a case meant to contain liquid air and its advantage over the above
one is that the cold produced by the evaporation of the air is stored in the
substance contained in the vessel L. This substance is a liquid which

page_text: freezes when the temperature in
a
a is too low, thus absorbing
large quantity of latent cold which it gives back in re-melting when
the temperature in is too high. The temperature maintained is equal to the
freezing point of the substance used and which of course, vary according to
requirements. The whole is duly insulated by I and is an opening meant to
fill and employ L and to allow air in and out-when the substance melts or solidifies
P is the connection pipe, Vits valve and M the pressure maintenance valve.
Fig. 3 is a case meant for preserving goods in a frozen condition. These goods
are put in the vessel G which is surrounded by the liquid air in A. The whole
is insulated by I and a suitable cover C.
-
Fig. 4 represents another kind of case for keeping things cold or frozen. It
consists of an outer insulating case I, an insulating cover C and a double inner
vessel. The liquid air is contained in and L is filled with a substance meant
to keep the temperature at the required degree. The inner vessel can be removed
at will and the goods to be preserved are placed around it in G.
Fig. 5 is a case for preserving frozen goods.
they are surrounded by liquid air in .
These goods are put in G and
The temperature is maintained by, the
substance contained in L and the whole is well insulated by I. C is an insulat-
ing cover and the temperature and tension of the liquid air are maintained as
Explained for Figs. 1 and 2.
Dated this 7th day of June 1899.
CELESTE JOLY.
EDWIN J. RICHARDSON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved System for the Safe Storage, Transport, and Use of Liquid
Air.
"
We, CELESTE JOLY, 22, Laurence Pountney Lane, London, E.C., late of 318,
City Road, London, E.C., Inventor Engineer, and EDWIN JOSEPH RICHARDSON,
41, Brook Street, London, W., 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:-
Liquid air is a substance obtained by subjecting air to both a great pressure
and a low temperature. In spite of its being manufactured in large quantities
at several places of the world and of its being a very cheap and valuable substance,
its uses have hitherto been limited. The progress in its preservation in the liquid
condition has been very slow owing to the fact that no vessel except of prohibitive
weight and cost can stand the enormous tension which under ordinary circum-
stances averages from 700 to 800 atmospheres.
As soon as air is liquefied, it possesses the tension of gasifying again but it has
hitherto been found impracticable and even impossible to use that expansive
force for moving machinery or other useful purposes because under ordinary
circumstances, the tension is so tremendous that no engine of reasonable pro-
portions, weight and cost could stand it and unless the liquid be maintained at
a temperature as low or lower than the critical temperature of about-123 or-124
degrees Centigrade, it will gasify at once in spite of any pressure so that there
is no alternative between losing the liquid air altogether or maintaining in the
receptacles in which it is stored a pressure equal in number of atmospheres to
the number of volumes of air at the ordinary pressure of the atmosphere required
for making one volume of liquid air. That is why liquid air has not, or had not
vet, been used for the safe and practical storage, transport and use of mechanical
energy.

page_text: According to the natural laws of latent heat, when air liquefies it gives off
a great quantity of heat which would hinder further condensation but for the
cold produced purposely for the liquefaction. When liquid air gasifies, the gas
thus formed absorbs a great quantity of heat and the cold thus produced will
hinder any further gasification if the temperature produced is equal to or
lower than the critical temperature, if a pressure equal to or greater than the
critical pressure of about 50 atmospheres is maintained in the receptacle in
which the liquid is stored and if the receptacle is insulated in order to hinder
the external heat from warming the liquid. Should any one of those three con-
ditions not be conveniently fulfilled, the air will gasify. Although cold is used
for many useful purposes, this cold is under ordinary circumstances so very
intense that it would spoil everything cold is usually used to preserve. It is why
liquid air has not, or had not yet, been used for the safe and practical storage,
transport and use of cold.
Our invention is an improved system by which liquid air can be stored in cases
or other receptacles with perfect safety and used for the production of power
and cold or for any other purpose.
It comprises the construction of every variety of cases or other receptacles in
which liquid air is preserved in its liquid condition by means of stored and in-
sulated cold, this cold being produced by its gasification and the expansion of the
compressed air formed, the intensity of the cold being maintained at a degree
as low as, or lower than, the critical temperature of air and the pressure
at a point as great as, or greater than, its critical pressure by a
suitable valve or mechanism so as to enable it to preserve a constant degree of
cold or to give a regular supply of power, or receptacles in which liquid air is
insulated so as to hinder the heat of the atmosphere from acting upon it, the
insulator enabling it to preserve the temperature at which it remains liquid
under a constant pressure maintained by a pressure maintenance valve with
which such receptacles are provided.
Whenever a liquid passes into the solid condition it absorbs a very great
quantity of latent cold which is given back again when the substance re-melts
and as long as there remains the least amount of solid in the liquid, the degree
of cold remains the same, equal to the freezing point of the substance used.
Supposing now that the pressure we want is equal to the tension of liquid air
at a temperature of say-130.5 degrees Centigrade, we store the liquid air in a
vessel able to stand that pressure, we surround that vessel with another one filled
with alcohol and we insulate the whole so as to hinder the external heat from
entering into our case. A part of the air will at once evaporate and thereby
absorb a great quantity of heat. The temperature is so much lowered that the
alcohol freezes. Once the whole of the alcohol is frozen, the air stops gasifying
and preserves the liquid condition because the alcohol cannot absorb any more
cold and because the external heat cannot enter. A valve hinders the gas from
escaping from the vessel as long as its tension has not reached the required
power so that both the temperature and the pressure are latent and constant.
When it is
Any brine or unfreezable liquid will give the required result.
required to preserve the liquid for a comparatively long time the compressed
air formed by the liquid is allowed to expand in a coil or a suitable arrangement
contained in the alcohol or brine vessel.
When we use liquid air for maintaining a certain degree of cold in cases or
other receptacles for the preservation of goods in a frozen condition or for any
other cooling, freezing or preserving purpose, we store the cold produced by the
gasification of the air and by the expansion of the compressed air formed by the
gasification in freezing a liquid that solidifies at the temperature we require or
in cooling a brine, a liquid, a gas or a substance in which the cold can be stored
and made to cool, freeze or preserve the whole contents of the receptacle when
required. For the purpose a case containing the liquid air can be put inside
another receptacle in which the goods to be cooled, frozen or preserved are stored.

page_text: As there is no such thing as a perfect insulator some heat always leaks through
the material surrounding the case which contains the volatile liquid mentioned
and a part of it gasifies. The tension augments and it forces the valve to open
the passage. A certain quantity of compressed gas escapes. This gas produces
the required cold by its expansion which can be effected in pipes, coils, vessels or
other suitable apparatuses. The quantity of cold produced in a certain time
from a certain quantity of liquid air depends therefore upon the quality and the
thickness of the insulator and these are chosen so as to answer requirements.
When we use liquid air for the production of mechanical energy, we store it in
suitable receptacles and we maintain the pressure we require with a suitable
valve. That pressure is usually between the critical pressure and the tension of
the liquid at its critical temperature that is between 50 and about 120 atmos-
pheres. We connect the contents of the receptacles with the machinery the
compressed air is to move with suitable mechanisms or devices and we obtain
its expansive energy by means of ordinary pistons or other compressed gases
expanding machines. The quantity of power we can thus get from one quantity
of liquid air depends upon the pressure maintained by the valve. When it is
necessary, economical or preferable to get a very great quantity of power from
a very small volume of liquid air as may specially be found advantageous for
ships, locomotives, motor vehicles and other engines, we keep the liquid insulated
as long as the power is not wanted. We then partly or wholly expose it to the
heat of the atmosphere, according to the pressure required which may reach any
point between 50 and 700 or 800 atmospheres. The quantity of power we can
obtain from say one litre of liquid air may therefore vary at will and the time
during which a quantity of power is produced depends upon the surface exposed
to the atmosphere. A valve hinders the air from escaping from the receptacle
as long as the tension is not equal to the pressure required and the receptacles
for the liquid air are made strong enough to stand that pressure.
We do not limit our invention to any particular shape and the manners of
constructing our cases or receptacles for the safe storage, transport and use of
liquid air depend upon the use the liquid is meant for, the tastes of the persons
who use them and to requirements generally. The drawings filed with the Pro-
visional Specification represent several ways of constructing them and they show
how the invention can be successfully carried out.
1
Fig. represents a case for storing liquid air for the production of power. When
the valve Vis closed, the end of the pipe P is connected with the contents of
the vessel in which the air is liquified or preserved in its liquid state at the
factory. After it has been safely connected, the valve is opened and the vessel
filled with the liquid and the valve is closed again. The vessel A is surrounded
with another vessel containing the insulating material I. M is a pressure main-
tenance valve. If the temperature of the liquid is too high, the tension of the
gas is of course too great also, it forces the valve M which may resemble an
ordinary stop valve to open and the surplus gas escapes. The gas which escapes
absorbs a very great quantity of heat from the liquid and as the external heat
cannot enter, both the temperature and the tension of the liquid air are always
the same.
The case can then be transported to any place with perfect safety,
the pipe P is connected with the engine the liquid air is to move and the valve V
is opened when the mechanical energy is required. The case can be provided with
a removable bottom so as to allow the atmosphere to supply the heat absorbed by
the gases formed.
Fig. 2 shows a case meant for containing liquid air and its advantages over the
above one is that the cold porduced by the evaporation of the air is stored in the
substance contained in the vessel L. This substance is a liquid which
freezes when the temperature in A is too low, thus absorbing a
large quantity of latent cold which it gives back in re-melting when
the temperature in.A is too high. The temperature maintained is equal to the
freezing point of the substance used and which of course varies according to

page_text: requirements. The whole is duly insulated by I and O is an opening meant for
filling and emptying L and to allow air in and out when the substance melts or
solidifies. P is the connection pipe, V its valve and M. the pressure maintenance
valve. If desired, the case can be provided with a removable cover or bottom
and the compressed air produced can be made to expand in a coil contained in L
and connected with M." The liquid thus preserved can be used for any purpose.
Fig. 3 is a case meant for preserving goods in a frozen condition. These goods
are put in the vessel G which is surrounded by the liquid air in A. The whole
is duly insulated by I and a suitable cover C. The case is provided with such
accessories as will enable the cold produced by the gasification and that given by
the expansion of being stored or used.
Fig. 4 represents another kind of case for keeping things cold or frozen. It
consists of an outer insulating case I, an insulating cover C and a double inner
vessel. The liquid air is contained in A, and L is filled with a substance meant
to keep the temperature at the required degree. The inner vessel can be removed
at will and the goods to be preserved are placed around it in G.
Fig. 5 is a case for preserving frozen goods. These goods are put in G and
they are surrounded by liquid air in A. The temperature is maintained by the
substance contained in L and the whole is well insulated by I. C is an insulat-
ing cover and the temperature and tension of the liquid air are maintained as
explained for Figs. 1 & 2.
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 :-
1. Cases and other receptacles for the safe-preservation, transport and use of
liquid air, such cases or apparatuses being provided with such mechanisms as
will maintain any pressure equal to or greater than the critical pressure required
and containing such substances as will allow a temperature equal to or lower than
the critical temperature required of being maintained, with such insulation as
will preserve the said temperature and, therefore, the said pressure, substantially
as described.
2. The connection of such receptacles with the machinery the compressed air
formed by the gasification of the liquid is to move, or the vessels, apparatuses or
goods which the cold produced by the expansion is to cool, freeze or preserve.
3. The connection of such receptacles with valves or arrangements by which the
temperature and tension of liquid air can at will be augmented or diminished so
as to obtain any desirable quantity of power or of cold from a given quantity ef
the liquid during a given time.
Dated this 5th day of March 1000