US1408453A - Refrigerating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

J. C. GOOSMANN.l

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 24. 1'921.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922..

2 snaps-SHEET 2.

' IIIIIIIIIIIIIII'I-l ai "A Jaffa/5 lerating apparatus,

- UNITED STA 'riens rATENT:oFFic1-:.

JUST'US C. GOOSMANN, 0F PEORIA ILLINOIS.

nmmomrme ArPAnATUs To all whom t may concern:

Be it kno-wn that I, J sTUs C. GoosMANN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Peoria, in the 'county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented newv andl useful Improvements in Refrigerating -Apparatus7 of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to refrigand more particularly to the compression type, the present applicationibeng a coitinuation in part of my copending application, Serial No'. 127,365 filed October 24-,1916. f Y

In the use of refrigerating systems embodying apparatus of this character, it is highly desirable to maintain a substantially uniform, predetermined temperature of the evaporator. or cooling element, which is either placeddirectly in the room or chamber to be cooled, or as. is more usually the case.y it islequipped with coils forming part of a circulating system through which brine or other cooling medium is circulated, to maintain the desired temperature in the fcompartment to be cooled. l

ln order tofmaintain a substantially predeterminedtemperatureof the cooling element, irrespeotiveof the amount of workbeing done, or in other words, irrespective ot the number of heat units being absorbed and removed :by Y`the re-frigerating system, it. is desirable that the expansion valve between i the condenser andthedevaporator possess a certain amount of range or flexibility in its 'ating medi-um o-perationin order that more oreless reirigei1- may be passed through the evaporator, and furthermore, since the ,most satisfactory yoperation of the system involves the maintenance of a predetermined pres-` sure ratio between the condenser and evaporator sides of the system, one of the primary features of my present invention` resides in the provision of an automatically operated expansion valve whichA is adapted to produce and maintain a predetermined ratioof pressures between the condenser and y the evaporator.

. l the requisite amount Assuming that thesysterhfis charged with of refrigerating medium such as CO2 for instances-nd that the ,compressor operates at a uniform speed, the .pressure and temperature 'of the refrigerating medium on the oondenserside of the expansion valve is controlled bythe ratev of. cooling and condensation of the refriger- Specication of Letters Patent.

Since there 1s in refrigerating apparatus Patented Mar. '7, 1522.' f Application lec January 24, 1921. Serial No. 439,371.'I A l of this character an inevitable leakage of the c refrigerating medium from the system, which of course, resultsin a decreased pressure, and an ineicient operation, my present invention aims to maintain the requisite pressure in` thesystem by automatically supplying additional refrigerating medium, to compensate for that lost, whenever the pressure in the systemfalls below a predetermined'point.

While am aware that it has heretofore been `proposed todeliver additional refrigerating medium into a system. of this character for the purpose yof compensating for loss by leakage, the supplyingof. this additional refrigerating medium of the low or evaporator side of systems heretofore employed does not remedy `the diiiculty, forthe` reason that with a set expansion valve, the pressure on the evaporator side may be below` that which is desirable, while at the same time, the pressureon the high or condenser Side may be greater than that sired. 'This condition may result from an insuicient opening of or through the exipansionvalve, which of course, assuming a constant speed of the compressor, imbalances the system'so that the pressuretis too hi on the high side and too low on the low si e, and this condition is not vimproved in the least by'adding more refrigerating 'mediums on the low' side as has previously been done, but on the contrary, the-difficulty is magni-` fied some times to the extent that av dangerously high pressure is produced in the con l denser side of the system. -v

Since my present inventio'nembodies an `-automatic control which 'maintains at all times 'a predetermined `ratio of pressures between w the Vlow andthe high' sides4k of the system, it will be. manifest-that additional vreifrigerating medium is never admitted the system until the pressure throughout the entire system is below that required for efiicient operation, and when this point is pressure in the whole system falls below a predetermined oint, the rovision of an au- .tomaticl controlp by which) a predetermined ratio of pressures is at all times maintained between the high and low sides of the system; and the provision of an automatic thermostatically-controlled device by whichl` the temperature and consequently, the resultant pressure of the refrigerating medium in the condenser side are automatically maintained within substantially uniform limits.

y For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention and its mode of operation, I have illustrated on the accompanying drawings one preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which when considered in, connection with the following description, my invention and man of its inherentadvantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic illustration, partially in section, of a, refrigerating apparatus embodyin my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudlnal, secional view through the automatic expansion valve;

Fig. 3 is a similar view through the device which automatically controls the temperature of the condenser; and

Fi 4 is a similar view through the valve whic automatically controls the admission f Aadditional refrigerating medium into a system.

Referring now to the drawin more in detail, and particularly to Fi 1 t ereof, the compressor, which may be o any referred construction but is herein illustrate as al single cylinder reciprocatory type, isindicated by reference character 5. denser, 7 the evaporator or cooling element, andr` 8 a reserve tank of refri rating'me dium under pressure, such for instance as a drum of commercial 00,.y The compressor, condenser and evaporator are connected in series in a closed circuit, as is customary, by piping, theline leading from the com ressor to the condenser being indicated by re erence character 9, that from the condemer to the evaporator by 10, and that from the evaporatorbacktothe'ccmpressorby 11. Theconcreased 6 indicates the con-v generally by reference character 17 by which .the temperature of the coil 14 is automaticall controlled.

ile any type of controlling element calpable of performlng the desired functions may be employed, I have found that the element shown in Fig. 3 on arr enlarged scale is well suited to the requirements of the present system.- This element comprises a lower casln or body 18 provided at one side with an in et nipple 19 to which the end of the pipe 16 leading from the condenser coil is attached by an ordina coupling nut. The inner end of this nipp e i's closed, as indicated at 21, and. its top and bottom walls are provided with alined openings 22 and 23 respectively, either shaped to provide a valve seat as indicated at 24, or equipped with a removable valve seat as shown at 25. A stem .the 4stem to seat against the seats 24 and 25 respectively. The lower end of the stem 26 is guided in a plug 30 through which the valve stem is introduced into position, and

its upper end is connected at 29 with a sylphon'31` suspended at its upperend from a spider 32 extending transversely of the casing 23threaded ont-o the upper end of the body 18. The upper end 33 of the casing is threaded for connection with the delivery pipe 34. The sylphon is of usual construction, adapted to expand` and contract longitudinally under the influence of variations in temperature in the surrounding cooling me dium flowing through the casing 26, ami' as will be apparent, expansion of the sylphon moves the valves 27 and 28 away from their resfpective seats, thus permitting an inow through the cooling coil 14, and contraction of the sylphon closes the valves. vIn order that the sylphon may be continually underthe influence of the cooling medium from the coil- 14 irrespective of whether the valves 27 and 28 are open or closed, the nipple is provided with one or more bleed -the valves 27 and 28 are adjusted and set on the stem so that they will close when the sylphon is subjected to water or other cooling medium at. this desired temperature. With the'valves in closed position, a small quantity of the cooling `medium. will flow through the passage to influence the sylphon and when the system is put in operation, the increase in temperature of the refrigerating medium delivered from-thel compreor /to the condenser will raise the temperature of the cooling medium delivered from the .coil

\ with the result that the sylphon will expand,

thus opening the valves and permitting an increased How of cooling medium through the coil to reduce the temperature of the condenser. The greater the temperature in the condenser, the more the valves will be open and the greater'the flow of cooling meand consequently,

the lpipe line is delivered to the evaporator or coohng elerelatively to its ment 7 through an automatically controlledexpansion valve 37, the structure of which `will be later explained. The evaporator may.

be of any preferred construction, but I have shown, for purposes of illustration one of j the drum type equippedl witha. pressure gauge. 38 and provided with a coil 39 which is included in a brine circulating system through which the brine or other cooling medium circulates, absorbing heat from the articles or compartment to becooled and giving up its heat in the coil -39t0 the surrounding rerigerating medium which has been delivered through the expansion valve This expansion valve, shown in detailinl Fig. 2 comprises a body 41 equipped with flanges adapted to be coupled in the pipe line 10, a-.diaphragm casting 42, and a onnet 43. The valve itself, indicated by 44, is adapted to cooperate with a valve seat 45 formed on the body 41. The passage 46 communicates with the pipe line 10 'and with the chamber 47 surrounding the valve 44v while discharge from the valve is delivered through passage drum. Communication between -the passages 46 and 48 is) controlled, as will be apparent, by vertical movement of the lvalve seat 45.

The chamber 47,. within which the valve 44 is disposed, is closed .at 4its upper end by a diaphragm 49 of relatively small diameter.

48 into the evaporator.

The vdiaphragm casting 42 being countersunk on its lower surface to provide theupper portion 51 of the chamber for the diaphragm 49, the diaphragm is clamped at its periphery. between the top of the body 41 and the bottom of the casting 42, and is centrall secured to the hollow valve rod 52 of t e valve 44. The upper portion 51- of the diaphragm chamber communicates through the hollow casting 42 around the valve stem 52l with the lower portion 53 of a diaphragm. chamber in which is disposed a diaphragm 54, the area of which is three times thatV of the diaphragm 49. The bottom of the bonnet 43 is countersunk to provide the .upper portion 55 of the chamber for the diaphragm 54. This diaphragm is clamped at its periphery between the top of casting 42 and the bottom of the bonnet 43, and yis also centrally secured to the.

valve rodI 52. A passage 56 extends centrally through the valve'to a point above diaphragm 54 and thence laterally into the upper portion 55l of the chamber above the vdiaphragm 54. l l

of the evaporator 7 The low Y pressure communicates directly with the upper side of diaphragm 54 at all times while the high pressure of the condenser is in constant communication with the lower -side of the'l small diaphragm 49. The space between the exterionof valve rod 52 'and the surrounding, communicates with the atmosphere casting through a port 57. The relative areas of .di'aphragms 54 and 49 being approximately three to one and valve 44 being free to move in response toa dilerential of pressures exerted upon diaphragms 49 and 54, the pressure in conduit 46 will always be three times the pressure in conduit 48. This relative pressure may be varied by adjusting the tension of a spring 58 interposed between the top of valve rod 52 and a sliding block. 59 mounted for vertical adjust- 'ment 1n the bonnet 'by means of an `adjustbe manifest, therefore, that with the parts .proportioned as shown ing rod 60. It will and described, a predetermined ratio? of pressures will always be maintained between vthe condenser and theevaporator since when the condenser pressure exceeds three times the evaporator plus the resistance to movement to, valve 44 offered by the spring 58, the `valve will be open and pressure will flow to the evaporator until the predetermined ratio of pressures has been re-established. The circulation of brine or other cooling medium through the coil 39 may be controlled and shut o when desired by a hand valve 61 interposed inthe circulating line.4

'As more or less leakage of the refrigerattion of Aan apparatus of' this made provision` for replenishing the loss Y leading by automatically delivering to the system a quantity of refrigerating/medium whenever the pressure in the system falls below a predetermined point. While the auxiliary supply may be connectedto the system at any point, I prefer to connect it to the low pressure side So that more of the medium contained under pressure in the supply drum may be used than would be the case were it attached to the high pressure side of the system. A supply of refrigerating medium such as C0 which is equipped with the usual shutoi valve 62, thedrum being e uipped with a connection or head 63 adapte to a pipe 64, which. in turn by a T is connected 65 with the lowl pressure line I1l from the evaporator to the compressor. In order to prevent the refrigerating medium from backingup from the line into the container 8 in case of leakage or in the .event that the pressure inthe con@ taier should drop' below that in the line, I prefer tointerpose in the pipe 64 a check valve 66, and for purposes of etermining the amount of pressure in the container, the pipe 64 is preferably equipped with a pressure gauge 67.

, a` pressure valve "lation with the .nozzle of the spring 78,

and shutting oil' flow of refrigerating.

further flow thereby The How of refrigerating medium .from the container into the line 11 is controlled by .68, shown in detail in Fig. 4. This valve comprises a casing, the intake end 69 of which is connected to the pipe 64 just above the elbow, and the delivery side is formed by ya continuation of the pipej 64 attached to the upper side of the caslng. A stationary nozzle 7l communicates with the intake side) of the casin and this nozzle is closed by ,a seat or. gas yoke 73 and normally urged into seated reby an expansion spring 74. The upper end 75 of the yoke is connected by a screw bolt 76 with a diaphra m"77 and a sprin '78, the tension of whic may be regulated by`a hand wheel 79, normally tends to force the seatv 72'away from the nozzle to open the valve. When the pressure in the chamber 81 beneath the diaphragm is sufliciently great, thei diaphragm is flexed upwardly against the force thereby closing' the valve medium from the supply container 8 to the Shouldy the pressure in the line 11 the .valve is set, the combined pressure of the medium acting through lthe nozzle' against the seat 72 and the action of the sprin 78 open the valve, permitting a flow' of re rig erating medium from the container 8 `into the line 11 until the pressure therein has been raised to the predetermined point under which the valve will again be seated, and

shut oil".

Since the pressures ,on the high and low 2 1s contained in the drum 8,

to be attached et 72, carried in a the thermostatically controlled device 17,

and since the pressure in the whole system is maintained upto a predetermined point by the automatic replenishmentv from the container 8, the apparatus is therefore en- Vtirely automatic in its operation, and not only maintains a predetermined refrigerating temperature, but? the system also possesses automatic flexibility, enabling it to take care of increased work in accordance with the demands. Furthermore, the s automatic balancing of the pressures on the high and low sides-of the system obviates any danger of a dangerous accumulation of pressure onthe high side which is liable to occur in a system which provides for automatic replenishment but not for'automatic balancing of the pres,

sures.- v

It is believed that my invention, its mode of operation, and many of its inherent advantages will be understood from the foregoing without further description, and while have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the details of construction which have been shown and described for purposes of illustration merely are capable of considerable modification and variation without departing from the essence of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator connected in series in a closed circuit, and means for automatically maintaining a predetermined pressure in both the condenser and evaporator sides of said cirbinationwith a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator connected in series in a closed circuit, of al supply of refrigerating medium under pressure, and pressurecontrolled means `for maintaining a predetermined pressure (in the complete circuit, said means including a device for automatically delivering to said circuit from said supply a quantity of refrigeratingl medium upon re' duction of pressure in said circuit below a predetermined point and means for maintaining a predetermined pressure ratio between the high and low sides of the circuit 8. In a refrigerating-lapparatus, the combination witha refrigeratin system comprising a compressor,'a con, enser and an evaporator connected in series, of means for maintaining a predetermined ratio between the pressures in the condenser and evaporator sides ofsaid circuit, and means for automatically supplying a refrigerating medium 'thereby to the system to compensate for leakage and maintain a predetermined pressure in said entire system.

4.*In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compressor,a condenser and an evaporator connected in series, and means interposed between said condenser and said` evaporator for automatically maintaining a predetermined ratio between the pressures in said condenser and in said evaporator.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus, the Icombination of a condenser, an evaporator, a connection between the same, and means for controlling the iowof a refrigerating medium through said connection so as to automatically maintain a predetermined ratio between the pressure in said condenser and the pressure in said evaporator.

6. In a refrigerating apparatus, bination of a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, means for maintaining a predetermined pressure ratio between the evaporator and condenser, and means for automatically Inaintaining a predetermined tempera ture in said condenser.

7. In a refrigerating system, Jcomprising a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator connected in series, the combination of means for automatically controlling the temperature of the condenser, means forl automatically maintaimng a predetermined ratio of ing medium pressures between the condenser andthe evaporator, and means for automatically maintaining a predetermined pressure inl` said system.

8. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, means connecting said elements in series, means interposed between the condenser and evaporator for maintaining a predetermined ratio of pressures between said elements,pressure-controlled means for automatically replenishing the apparatus with a refrigerating med -ture-controlled means for automatically controlling the temperature of` the refrigeratin said apparatus.

9. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination with a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator requiring a 'ven pressure, and pipmg connecting said e ements in series, of a `source of supply of refrigeratin medium at high pressure, a conduit provi ing communicati'onl between the source of supplyl and the pipe connecting said evaporator and compressor, and a pressureregulated valve controlling passage of medium through the conduit, said valve being set to open only when the pressure between it and said pipe fallsbelow that required in the evaporator.

JUsTUs o. GoosMANN.

lum, and tempera-

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