US3672183A - Ice bank heat exchanger - Google Patents
Ice bank heat exchanger Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3672183A US3672183A US8101A US3672183DA US3672183A US 3672183 A US3672183 A US 3672183A US 8101 A US8101 A US 8101A US 3672183D A US3672183D A US 3672183DA US 3672183 A US3672183 A US 3672183A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- water
- reservoir
- plates
- ice
- plate
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D16/00—Devices using a combination of a cooling mode associated with refrigerating machinery with a cooling mode not associated with refrigerating machinery
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/02—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating liquids, e.g. brine
Definitions
- An ice bank heat exchanger including a process water retaining reservoir provided with a hot process water inlet and a water outlet returning cooled water to the process equipment, a refrigeration unit associated with the said reservoir and expanding through evaporator coils contained within the said water reservoir, the evaporator coils being affixed to ice bank plates which are arranged within the reservoir to freeze the stored process cooling water and to provide a serpentine water path therethrough from the hot water inlet connection to the cooled water outlet connection.
- the present invention relates to an ice bank type of heat exchanger suitable for reducing the temperature of heated process cooling water economically and in an extremely confined area.
- Cooling towers are quite bulky in size and require largevolumes of air. It has usually been found that the necessary space and air requirements for his type of equipment is not readily available, especially in heavily populated metropolitan area. Additionally, such water cooling equipment must operate throughout the year and accordingly, considerable winterizingcdsts were encountered by prior workers in those areas subject to freezing temperatures. Such units also provided problems in the summer time in locations subject to excessive heat wherein high wet bulb temperatures would be approaching the top permissible solvent condensing temperatures. Evaporative condensers, when they were employed, incorporated most of the same design problems as encountered with cooling towers with the addition that such equipment greatly increased the initial installation costs.
- the equipment must be compact enough to be installed in the work area of crowded plants and must further be capable of operating at high ambient temperatures in the work area under all outside conditions of climate and humidity.
- the present invention relates to a relatively compact ice bank heat exchanger of the closed circuit type suitable for water cooling purposes under all ambient conditions of temperature and humidity.
- the present invention includes an insulated reservoir of water which incorporates a refrigerated ice bank capable of freezing a quantity of ice in the retained water.
- Inlet and outlet water connections communicate the liquid to be cooled with the interior of. the water reservoir and a gasketed cover prevents evaporation of the cooling water.
- the hear of fusion of ice is 144 BTU/lbfE
- the storage value of such a refrigerated ice bank reservoir is therefore 144 times as great as that of a given weight of water. Accordingly, an extremely small, efficient water reservoir can thus be employed to achieve the cooling effect of a much larger water type heat exchanger.
- the periods of plant down time can be employed for manufacturing ice for utilization during the operating period, thus economically permitting the installation of a smaller compressor and motor.
- Ice making plates have been provided within the interior of the water reservoir and the plates are soarranged as to cause the heated process cooling water flowing through the unit to follow an elongated serpentine path betweenthe water inlet and water outlet to thereby prolong contact between the cooling water and the ice to assure adequate cooling. Additionally, because the water delivered from the process equipment to the reservoir inlet is generally warm from the nature of the process, ice at the plates nearest the water inlet melts first to cool the water. As the temperature of the cooling water declines because of the cooling eflect of the ice, ice on the remaining plates melts at a declining rate as the plates are spaced further from the water inlet, thereby leaving more ice on the plates furthest from the inlet.
- Anice bank control is provided near the first plate closest to the water inlet and is spaced from the plate to thereby control the thickness of ice-build on the plate to thus furnish the refrigeration unit with acontrol responsive to the icing Conditions within the water reservoir.
- the uneven spacing of the plates tends to keep the freezing thickness of ice upon the plates approximately equal throughout the unit.
- FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an ice bank heat exchanger constructed in accordance with the present invention, partially broken away to show the internal construction.
- FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along Line 2-2 of FIG. 1, looking in the directionof the arrows.
- FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along Line 33 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.
- FIG. 4 is a schematic, perspective view showing the refrigeration system and plates.
- an ice bank heat exchanger generally designated and including a generally rectangular water reservoir 12 which is preferably interiorly fabricated of noncorrosive material such as stainless steel.
- Process cooling water inlet and outlet connections 14, 16 communicate with the interior of the reservoir at diagonally opposed locations to facilitate the flow of process water thorough the apparatus for optimum cooling purposes.
- the reservoir jacket preferably is fabricated of insulated materials to minimize heat loss through the jacket.
- a tight fitting, gasketed cover 18 encloses the top of the heat exchanger to thereby provide a closed water system to reduce water loss through evaporation to a minimum.
- a plurality of corrosion resisting plates 20, 22, 24, 26 vertically position within the reservoir 12 and affix at alternate ends of the reservoir to provide an elongate water path from the water inlet 14 to the water outlet 16 through the unit as best seen by following the arrow path illustrated in FIG. 3.
- Each plate 20, 22, 24, 26 preferably is formed of aluminum or other corrosion resistant heat conductive material and each plate carries an amxed length of evaporator coil 28 thereon which preferably arranges in a serpentine pattern in wellknown manner to uniformly produce ice 36 over the sides of each plate.
- each refrigerant coil 28 operatively connects between the refrigerant inlet manifold 30 and the suction manifold 32 to thereby unifomily develop a layer of ice 36 upon the sides of each plate.
- the refrigerating unit 34 comprises a compressor 38 which receives refrigerant from the suction manifold 32.
- Compressed refrigerant flows from the compressor 33 to the air cooled condenser 40 where heat is expelled to condense the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid in the usual manner and the liquid refrigerant is then directed to the refrigerant receiver 42.
- the stored refrigerant in the receiver 42 flows to the inlet manifold 30 of the evaporator coils 28 through a thermostatic expansion valve 44 in accordance with well-know refrigerating principles in response to a system control device such as the bulb 48.
- the coils 28 each connect in parallel across the inlet manifold 30 to the suction manifold 32 to thereby provide uniform cooling efl'ects at each plate 20, 22, 24, 26 throughout the interior of the reservoir 12.
- the refrigerating plates 20, 22, 24, 26 discreetly space within the reservoir to provide a serpentine path of water travel from the water inlet 14 through to the water outlet 16 to maximize the contact of the process cooling water 60 with the ice 36 to assure adequate cooling during the course of water travel through the unit 10.
- the water introduced at the inlet connection 14 is warm after removing heat from the plant process and accordingly, the elevated water temperatures will melt the ice at the plates closest to the water inlet 14 more rapidly when the process water is being cooled during its serpentine path through thereservoir 12.
- ice on the plates furthest from the inlet 14 will be melted at a declining rate because of the drop in process water temperature as it flows past the plates.
- the plates 20, 22 furthest from the water inlet 14 are spaced an increasingly greater distance apart both from each other and from the reservoir side wall 46.
- the greater distance between the plate 20 and the unit side wall 46 and the distance between the plates 20, 22, will permit a greater build-up of ice without completely clogging the serpentine water path through the unit from the water inlet 14 to the water outlet 16.
- the ice bank control bulb 48 wires into the compressor operating circuit at the junction box 53 to stop the refrigeration unit 34 upon sensing the build-up of a predetermined thickness of ice 36 upon the plate 26.
- the thickness of the ice build-up may be readily regulated by simply bending the bracket 52 to hold the control bulb 48 either nearer or further from the plate 26.
- a completely closed process water path is constructed by conducting heated water from the process (not shown) to the reservoir water inlet 14 by means of the inlet piping 62 and connecting cooled water from the reservoir outlet 16 back to the process through the outlet piping 64 for introduction to the equipment being cooled.
- a process water pump may be furnished with the ice bank heat exchanger to thereby provide a completely self-contained operating unit.
- the process water 60 is directed through the heat exchanger 10 wherein it follows an increasingly widening path between the plates 20, 22, 24, 26 from the inlet 14 to the outlet 16.
- a gmket cover 18 completes the closed water system and serves to prevent loss of water by evaporation at the heat exchanger 10.
- Process water 60 is introduced into the reservoir 12 to a controlled depth less than the height of the evaporator coil plates 20, 22, 24, 26 and the refrigeration unit 34 activates to cool the water 60.
- Operation of the compressor unit 38 during periods of plant inactivity when no water flows through the reservoir 12 provides sufficient cooling at the coils 28 to freeze the water adjacent the plates 20, 22, 24, 26 to thus build up a bank of ice 36 on each side of each plate.
- the thickness of ice may be precisely regulated by varying the distance of the ice sensing bulb 48 from its associated plate 26. The bulb 48 should position to control the expansion valve 44 to close before there is a complete ice blockage between plate 26 and the reservoir side wall 47 which is adjacent the water inlet 14 or between the pair of plates 20, 22 most remote from the water inlet 14.
- the ice sensing bulb 48 preferably positions in the space 50 which initially receives the heated process water from the inlet 14, thus causing ice at the bulb 48 to melt first.
- the sensing bulb functions to activate the refrigeration system 34 immediately upon initiation of melting within the reservoir 14 to retard the rate of ice disapearance.
- the refrigeration unit 34 functions during the off peak hours to build up an ice bank for water cooling purposes and further functions during the plant operating periods to retard the ice melting rate by tending to freeze additional quantities of ice.
- the process water 60 itself is utilized to freeze to form the ice bank 36.
- the water from the melt mixes with the process water and is recirculated therewith.
- the same water supply serves the dual purpose of cooling the process equipment and also of supplying the necessary water for the build-up of the ice bank.
- an ice bank heat exchanger suitable for cooling previously heated water of the type including a refrigeration system to build up a supply of ice within the unit on plates positioned therewithin, the combination of A. a water storage reservoir receiving the said heated water and including a bottom and a pair of spaced sides and a pair of spaced ends which define an interior space,
- said reservoir being provided at one end thereof with a heated water inlet and at the other end thereof with a cooled water outlet;
- each plate being generally rectangular in shape and having a connected edge and a free edge
- the said plate connected edges being staggered alternately from end to end of the reservoir to form a serpentine water path through the reservoir from the water inlet to the water outlet,
Abstract
Description
Claims (4)
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US810170A | 1970-01-21 | 1970-01-21 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3672183A true US3672183A (en) | 1972-06-27 |
Family
ID=21729793
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US8101A Expired - Lifetime US3672183A (en) | 1970-01-21 | 1970-01-21 | Ice bank heat exchanger |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US3672183A (en) |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3766752A (en) * | 1971-05-21 | 1973-10-23 | Laing Nikolaus | Refrigeration machine circuit with fusion storage |
US4036621A (en) * | 1976-08-06 | 1977-07-19 | Dixie-Narco, Inc. | Beverage dispensers |
US4294083A (en) * | 1980-04-07 | 1981-10-13 | Barton King | Air conditioning system |
US4750336A (en) * | 1986-04-09 | 1988-06-14 | Peter Margen | Arrangement for producing ice slush |
US4760713A (en) * | 1986-11-17 | 1988-08-02 | United Technologies Corporation | Multiple heat sink cooling system for a burst power fuel cell |
US4782669A (en) * | 1986-11-17 | 1988-11-08 | International Fuel Cells Corporation | Cooling system for a burst power fuel cell |
US4831831A (en) * | 1988-02-16 | 1989-05-23 | Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc. | Thermal storage unit with coil extension during melt |
US4856296A (en) * | 1988-07-12 | 1989-08-15 | Matthias Tai | Closed variable-volume container coolable to rapidly solidify water therein |
WO1994005589A1 (en) * | 1992-08-28 | 1994-03-17 | Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte Gmbh | Device for producing and storing carbonated water in a tank |
US20110079025A1 (en) * | 2009-10-02 | 2011-04-07 | Thermo King Corporation | Thermal storage device with ice thickness detection and control methods |
CN105372398A (en) * | 2015-12-21 | 2016-03-02 | 苏州市东华试验仪器有限公司 | Rapid freezing and thawing box provided with water circulating and heating water tank |
US20180127956A1 (en) * | 2016-11-07 | 2018-05-10 | Edward Michael Amaral | Water generating atmosphere freezer |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2448453A (en) * | 1944-09-11 | 1948-08-31 | Joseph I Morrison | Liquid cooling system |
US2538015A (en) * | 1948-01-17 | 1951-01-16 | Dole Refrigerating Co | Liquid cooler |
US2853859A (en) * | 1945-05-04 | 1958-09-30 | William I Thompson | Cold traps |
-
1970
- 1970-01-21 US US8101A patent/US3672183A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2448453A (en) * | 1944-09-11 | 1948-08-31 | Joseph I Morrison | Liquid cooling system |
US2853859A (en) * | 1945-05-04 | 1958-09-30 | William I Thompson | Cold traps |
US2538015A (en) * | 1948-01-17 | 1951-01-16 | Dole Refrigerating Co | Liquid cooler |
Cited By (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3766752A (en) * | 1971-05-21 | 1973-10-23 | Laing Nikolaus | Refrigeration machine circuit with fusion storage |
US4036621A (en) * | 1976-08-06 | 1977-07-19 | Dixie-Narco, Inc. | Beverage dispensers |
US4294083A (en) * | 1980-04-07 | 1981-10-13 | Barton King | Air conditioning system |
US4750336A (en) * | 1986-04-09 | 1988-06-14 | Peter Margen | Arrangement for producing ice slush |
US4760713A (en) * | 1986-11-17 | 1988-08-02 | United Technologies Corporation | Multiple heat sink cooling system for a burst power fuel cell |
US4782669A (en) * | 1986-11-17 | 1988-11-08 | International Fuel Cells Corporation | Cooling system for a burst power fuel cell |
US4831831A (en) * | 1988-02-16 | 1989-05-23 | Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc. | Thermal storage unit with coil extension during melt |
US4856296A (en) * | 1988-07-12 | 1989-08-15 | Matthias Tai | Closed variable-volume container coolable to rapidly solidify water therein |
AU618370B2 (en) * | 1988-07-12 | 1991-12-19 | Industrial Technology Research Institute | Closed variable-volume container coolable to rapidly solidify water therein |
WO1994005589A1 (en) * | 1992-08-28 | 1994-03-17 | Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte Gmbh | Device for producing and storing carbonated water in a tank |
US20110079025A1 (en) * | 2009-10-02 | 2011-04-07 | Thermo King Corporation | Thermal storage device with ice thickness detection and control methods |
CN102032754A (en) * | 2009-10-02 | 2011-04-27 | 热之王公司 | Thermal storage device with ice thickness detection and control methods |
CN105372398A (en) * | 2015-12-21 | 2016-03-02 | 苏州市东华试验仪器有限公司 | Rapid freezing and thawing box provided with water circulating and heating water tank |
US20180127956A1 (en) * | 2016-11-07 | 2018-05-10 | Edward Michael Amaral | Water generating atmosphere freezer |
US10465363B2 (en) * | 2016-11-07 | 2019-11-05 | Edward Michael Amaral | Water generating atmosphere freezer |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: STAL REFRIGERATION CORPORATION,, STATELESS Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:ADVANCE EQUIPMENT CO., INC;REEL/FRAME:004131/0283 Effective date: 19821229 Owner name: STAL REFRIGERATION CORPORATION, Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:ADVANCE EQUIPMENT CO., INC;REEL/FRAME:004131/0283 Effective date: 19821229 |
|
STCF | Information on status: patent grant |
Free format text: PATENTED FILE - (OLD CASE ADDED FOR FILE TRACKING PURPOSES) |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: FOSTER ALAN 2933 GAVIOTA PLACE, CARLSBAD, CA 9200 Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:STAL REFRIGERATION CORPORATION A DE CORP;REEL/FRAME:004179/0217 Effective date: 19831014 |