Improvements relating to Refrigerating Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July,
1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM ALSOP, Engineer, and WILLIAM
BLACKALL, Chemist, both of Newcastle, in the Colony of New South
Wales.]
Improvements relating to Refrigerating Apparatus.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 6 Breams Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of London, Patent Agent, 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 invention relates to refrigerating machines, in which a suitable fluid, as
atmospheric air, is compressed, thus causing a development of heat, the heat is
abstracted from the compressed fluid, and the fluid is then allowed to expand, with
a consequent lowering of temperature.
A great source of trouble in this class of machine or apparatus, is the snow that
is formed, owing to the humidity ever present in the air that is first compressed and
then expanded.
Now, this invention has for its object abstracting from the air, before it is
expanded, the eat and moisture that is present with it, in a more efficient manner
than the ordinary coolers are capable of doing.
In carrying this invention into effect, the compressed air, after it has been cooled
in the ordinary coolers, is caused to pass through a pipe or pipes, a passage or
passages, so placed that the expanded air from the expansion cylinder, as it passes
to the refrigerating chamber, shall act, play, or impinge upon the exposed surfaces
of such pipes, tubes, or passages. These pipes, tubes, or passages are fixed in such
a position that any snow or ice that is formed in the expanded air, shall be deposited
upon or around them. This deposit of snow or ice will absorb a large proportion of
the heat contained in the compressed air within the tubes or passages, and will
thereby become melted, & the water will be drained off in any suitable manner.
The compressed air, as it passes through the aforesaid tubes or passages, will part
with so much of its heat in the liquefaction of the snow or ice that is deposited
on or around the tubes or passages (as before mentioned), that it will be considerably
reduced in temperature (generally below 40° Fahr.), and will ensure a great
condensation of the moisture that is present with the compressed air in the tubes
or passages. The compressed air tubes or passages are provided with a suitable
drain pipe or trap for drawing off the condensed moisture.
As a means of effecting the desired object, one example or specimen of suitable
apparatus is shewn in the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the expanded air passage, leading from
the expansion cylinder to the refrigerating chamber, and shewing the compressed
air tubes or passages in elevation.
Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same, taken on the line 1-2 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an isometrical view of Fig. 1, on a slightly larger scale, and with
the side partly broken away to shew the disposition and arrangement of the several
parts.
The part of the expanded air passage that is shewn in the drawing, and
containing the compressed air passages, practically takes the place of the ordinary
snow box.
A is the non-conducting or packing material, that surrounds the expanded air
passage B. A recess or well C is preferably formed in the floor of the expanded
air passage B, to receive the compressed air pipes or tubes D. E is the compressed
air pipe leading from the compressor thro' the ordinary cooler, and debouching into

page_text: a small chamber e, one side of which forms a tube plate for the reception of the ends
of the pipes D, the other ends of which terminate in a tube plate that forms one of the
sides of a second small chamber. f, from which a pipe F leads to the expanding
cylinder. The chamber e is placed at a lower elevation than the chamber f, and
the tubes D are inclined upwards from the chamber e to the chamber f. This is
for the purpose of allowing the water of condensation, within the pipes D, to drain
into the chamber which is made deeper than f, to allow room for its reception.
The chamber e is preferably fitted with a water gauge glass e¹ and drain cock e².
The well or recess C is also provided with a drain cock c, whereby any water that
may be in the well may be drawn off.
The compressed air, after it leaves the ordinary cooler, will pass through the
pipe E into the chamber e, through the tubes D, into the chamber f, and from
thence, through the pipe F, to the expansion cylinder. After leaving the expansion
cylinder, the cold expanded air will pass along the passage B in the direction
of the arrows, and the snow will be deposited in the well or recess C, on or
around the tubes D. The compressed air, as it passes through the tubes D, will
give up a large percentage of its heat, which heat will be absorbed or utilized in
melting the snow around the tubes, thereby causing a great lowering of the
temperature of the compressed air within the tube, and a consequent condensation
of much of the moisture that is present with the compressed air; the result being
that the compressed air will be delivered to the expansion cylinder in a com-
paratively dry and cool condition. By thus utilizing the chilling effect of the
produced snow, a greatly increased degree of cold in the expanded air is obtained,
owing to the low temperature & drying of the air before expansion. After the
machine or apparatus has been at work for some time, and the several parts have
become thoroughly cooled down to their work, it will be found that very little snow
will be produced.
It is preferable to employ a number of small tubes D, rather than one large
pipe or passage, but the aggregate sectional area of the small tubes should be about
equal to the sectional area of the pipe E.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would here remark that
I do not wish to be confined to the exact details of the apparatus herein shewn for
cooling and drying the compressed air by means of the cold expanded air, assisted
by any ice or snow that may be present with it, acting upon the compressed air
passage, as this object may obviously be effected by various modifications of the
apparatus shewn in the drawings, without departing from the nature of the invention
herein described, but what I claim is :-
1. In refrigerating apparatus, conveying the compressed air, from the compressors,
through pipes, tubes, or passages, so placed or disposed, that the cold expanded air
from the expansion cylinder, as it passes to the refrigerating chamber, together
with any ice or snow that may be present with the cold expanded air, shall be
brought into contact with, and caused to act upon, the compressed air passage or
passages, for the purpose of cooling and drying the compressed air within the
passage or passages, as herein specified.
2. In refrigerating apparatus, placing within the expanded air passage, that
leads from the expansion cylinder to the refrigerating chamber, a pipe or pipes,
tube or tubes, passage or passages, through which the compressed air from the
compressors, shall be caused to pass on its way to the expansion cylinder, so that
the cold expanded air shall act upon the exposed surface of the compressed air
passage or passages, as and for the purposes herein set forth.
3. In refrigerating apparatus, the small chambers e and ƒ connected together by
tubes D, the whole being placed in the expanded air passage that leads from the
expansion cylinder to the refrigerating chamber, one of these chambers being
connected to the compressing apparatus, and the other chamber being connected

page_text: to the expansion apparatus, as herein described, as illustrated in the drawings,.
and for the purposes set forth.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.