US2019551A - Refrigerating system - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 5, 1935. G. VARNEY REFRIGERAT'INGSYSTEM Filed June 16, 1931 INVENTOR 1 fiardan V&rnqq Has ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 5, i935 Gordon Vamey. Bradenton, rm. I Application June 16, 1931, Serial No. 544,802

This invention relates in geneFai to the-art of refrigeration, and more particularly to that phase of refrigeration relating to chilling and freezing of perishable commodities, and is most specif- 5 ically directed to that phase of refrigeration designed to produce such freezing with sumcient rapidity to prevent the breaking down of cellular structures or the segregation of the component parts of such commodities. This invention is an improvement in certain respects, and for certain results, over my co-pending application, Serial Number 542,503, on Refrigeration systems, filed June 7th, 1931.

I am awarethat the problem'of quick freezing is not a new one and that. others have endeavored, in various ways, to accomplish the results desired. However, I have devised a method of and a means forproviding for such a quick cooling which I believe to be novel and a distinct improvement over any method of which I 'am, at present, aware.

It is the prime object of myinvention to provide a means for and a method of rapid chilling and/or freezing of perishable commodities, therapidity of action of refrigeration beingsufilcient to prevent disintegration or deterioration of the commodity in consideration.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, in a refrigeration system, means for insuring a more intimate and efficient heat exchange between the refrigerant and the article to be refrigerated.

It is a further object of my invention to utilize in my refrigeration chambenas a medium of heat exchange, a gas ofreiatively high heat conductivity. I

.Afurther object of my invention is to provide special means for refrigerating such a gas.

With the abovein mind, it is a further object of my invention to provide a quick refrigeration system which can be economically operated with a minimum of apparatus and refrigerants and which will, by its very nature, insure rapid and sure refrigeration.

Further objects of this invention will be round that the apparatus which I have illustrated may be comprised, as follows:

At I, I have disclosed a refrigeration chamber utilizing an ammonia expansion system of refrig-' eration, though my apparatus is in no wise limited to such refrigeration means as any other means of refrigeration may be used.

At his shown, diagrammatically, an ammonia gas inlet 2 and outlet 3. Within the refrigeration chamber i there is a heat, conduction tube 4 which will be so designed a's to be of approximately the same. configuration and cross-sectional area as that of the articles to be refrigerated. This tube t extends throughout the length of the chamber I and hastw'o depressed portions 5 and 15 6 which are filled with a liquid 17, such as mercury, brine, prestone, or the like, which acts as a gas seal to the tube 8. Immediately adjacent the ends of the chamber i the tubed is provided with an outlet tube 8 and an inlet tube S to permit 0 of passage of a refrigerating gas from the tube 4 to and through a gas refrigerating chamber to." The chamber ill is provided with inlet and outlet H and ii to a suitable refrigerating system and a blower i3 is provided to insure circulation 25 through the tube Hi. The outlet tube 9 is tapped to permit of induction from a pressure cylinder M containing the gas of relativelyhigh heat conductivity. to be utilized, the gas preferably being inert, the inlet from said cylinder being controlled by,a regulatable pressure valve l5. .At It, as a schematic means, for providing progressive refrigeration of a plurality of articles, I have shown a pair of wheels Ilprovided with pawls it for insuring the successive progress of a plurality of articles is throughthe chamber 5. In Figure 2,1 have shown a variation of my device in which the heat conductive gas is not sep arately cooled but the cylinder It is tapped directly into the tube 4 at 29, a point above the 40 liquid seal.

Having described my apparatus, it will be seen that the same operates, as follows: Theartlcles l9 to be refrigerated are successivelymassed through the refrigerating tube i by means of thewheels B1 and the pawls it. The size and shape of the tube 4 is designed so as to approximate closely the size and shape of the packages tobe refrigerated and thus to provide for an; initial relatively clmse thermal contact. 5 To further aid the heat transfer I have provided means for' introducing a gas of relatively high heat conductivity to completely fill the space between the inner walls of the refrigerating chamber 8 and the articles to be refrigerated.

Any inactive gas having high heat conductivity may be utilized. However, I have considered using'helium. or hydrogen as being inactive and at the same time highly heat conductive. The liquid seals prevent the heat conductive gases from escaping to or having contactwith the atmosphere and the apparatus shown in Figure I shows an additional refrigeration means for separately cooling this gas. Marked advantages of the use of such an inactive gas as I have suggested are their high heat conductivity, the prevention of oxidization, and especially the pre vention of frosting with the heat insulation incident thereto.

In referring to hydrogen as a medium of heat exchange I am well aware of the fact that it is an active gas under ordinary conditions. However, I have found'hydrogen to be inactive under the refrigerating conditions imposed upon it in the manner above described and I therefore make reference to it as an inactive gas. Furthermore, in my alternate reference to helium and hydrogen as a medium of heat exchange I do not wish to limit my invention to use of either but to anygas which may have the properties of 1 high heat conductivity or of inactivity under rethrough said chamber, said tube having a crosssectional area and a configuration approximating that of the article to be refrigerated to provide for intimate heat-exchange between its walls and the said article, and a refrigerated gas of relatively high heat conductivity filling the space between said walls and said article, means for refrigerating said tube, and separate means for refrigerating said gas.

2. As a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, a jheat conduction tube extending through said chamber, said tube having a crosssectional area and a configuration approximating that of the article to be refrigerated to provide for intimate heat exchange between its walls and the said article, and a refrigerated gas of relatively high heat conductivity filling the space between said walls and said article, means for refrigerating said tube, separate means for refrigerating said'gas, and means for enclosing said gas in a gas-tight seal.

3; As a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, a heat conduction tube extending' through said chamber, said tube having a cross sectional area and a configuration approximating that of the article to be refrigerated to provide for intimate heat exchange between its walls and the said article, and a refrigerated inert gas of. high heat conductivity filling the void between the walls and said article, means for refrigerating said tube, and separate means for refrigerating said gas.

4. As a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, a heat conduction tube extending through said chamber, said tube .having a cross sectional area and a configuration approximating that of the article to be refrigerated to provide for intimate heat exchange between its walls and the said article, and a refrigerated inart gas of high heat conductivity filling the void between the walls and said article, means for refrigerating said tube, and separate means for refrigerating said gas, and means for enclosing said gas in a gas tight seal.

5. As a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigeration chamber, a heat conduction tube extendin through said chamber and refrigerated on all sides throughout that portion of its length included within said chamber, and a gas of high heat conductivity filling the space between inner walls of said tube and the articles to be refrigerated, and a means separate from said refrigerating chamber for refrigerating said gas.

6. As a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, a heat conduction tube extending through said chamber, said tube having a crosssectional area. and a configuration approximating that of the article to be refrigerated to provide for intimate heat exchange between its walls and the said article, and a refrigerated gas of relatively high heat conductivity filling the space between said walls and said article,

means for refrigerating said tube, and means for refrigerating said gas.

7. As a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, a heat conduction tube extending in a gas-tight seal.

I GORDON VARNEY.

Images