US2172408A - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 12, 1939. B. F. RANDEL 2,172,408

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1939. B. F. RANDEL 2,172,408

AIR CONDITIONING APPAQATUS Filed Dec. 7, 19:57 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY Bo FOLKE. RANDEL.

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 12, 1939 PATENT orrlcs 2,172,408 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Bo Folke Randel,

'San Diego, Calif.

Application December 7, 1937, Serial No. 178,441

1 Claim.

\ (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) This invention relates to apparatus for air conditioning and it hasa particular relation to heating and/or cooling the air of a building or other space.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of new and improved means for heating and cooling the ventilating air of a building, that is simple in construction and operation and which embodies but few moving parts.

With these and other objects in view, as well as other advantages that may be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, and with the understanding that the several necessary elements constituting the same may be varied in propor tion and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claim.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, there are shown in the accompanying drawings, means for carrying the invention into practical use, without limiting the improvements in their useful application to the particular construction, which, for the purpose of explanation, have been'made the subject of illustration.

In the accompanyin drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of 'an air con-; ditioning apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of another form of air conditioning apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, an air conditioning apparatus embodying the present invention is shown as comprising in its essentials a. chamber A through which air to be conditioned is caused to flow by a fan ll and containing a temperature controlling coil ii; a condenser B containing a cooling coil l2 and communicating with the temperature controlling coil ll through a pipe IS; an evaporator C communicating with the upper portion of thecondenser B through a conduit H, and containing a cooling coil I! which communicates with the temperature controlling coil ll through a pipe It and two-way valve I1; and a boiler D which is heated by a suitable burner i8 and containing a heating .coil I! which also comp o"'municates with the temperature controlling coil ll, through a pipe and the two-way valve l'l. The pressure in-the evaporator C is reduced in order to. hasten evaporation and resulting cooling by a steam injector 21 located in the con- 85 duit l4 and communicating through a pipe 22 and valve 23 with the boiler D. The pressure in the condenser is increased in order to accelerate condensation by a liquid ejector 24 also located in the conduit l4 and which communicates with the pipe l3 leading to the temperature, 5 controlling coil ll.

When the apparatus is employed for cooling purposes the two-way valve i1 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1 in which position a pump 25 driven by a. motor 26 withdraws water from 10 the lower portion of the condenser B through a pipe 21 and forces it through a'pipe 28 into the cooling coil IS in the evaporator C and thence through the pipe l6, two-way valve l'l, temperature controlling coil ll, pipe l3, and liquid ejec- 15 tor 24 into the upper portion of the condenser B. The cooling water thus injected back into the condenser enters the same in the form of a spray which entrains steam from the ejector 2| and vaporized water from the evaporator entrained go by the steam and not only partially liqueties the same but projects it over the cooling coil l2.

Some ofthe water withdrawn from the condensers by the pump 25 passes from the pipe 28 through a branch pipe, expansion valve 30, 25 and spray nozzle 3| into the upper portion of the evaporator C, thus not only facilitating vaporization in the evaporator but assisting in the cooling of the coil i5 and replacing the water lost through evaporation. Also, part of the water 30 withdrawn from the condenser B, passes from the pipe 28 through a branch pipe 32 and regulating valve 33 into the boiler D in order to compensate for the water generated into steam.

.When the apparatus is employed for heating 35 purposes the two-way valve i1 is turned so that communication is established between the temperature controlling coil ii and the pipe 20 leadingto the heating coil i9 in the boiler D and at the same time interrupting communication between the pipe l6 and cooling coil Ii. Under these conditions the expansion. valve '30 is closed to prevent water from accumulating in the evaporator C and a control valve 34 is also closed to prevent the coil l2 from functioning as a cooling coil. With the parts inthe positions described,

@the pump 25 will force water from the pipe 28 through a branch pipe 35, heating coil it, where it is heated by the hot water and steam in the boiler D, pipe 20, valve l'l, temperature control coil ll, pipe i3 and liquid injector back to the condenser B.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated a different form of the invention in which. the same essential elements are employed, the principal differences u being that the heating and cooling fluid which traverses the temperature controlling coil ll circulates independently of the fluid in the condenser B. In this arrangement when it is desired to cool the air passing through the chamber A, the two-way valve I1 is rotated to the position shown in which a second pump it driven by a motor 31 will cause a fluid medium to flow in a closed circuit through aportion 01' pipe 8| and pipe 39, thence through the coil II in the evaporator C where it is cooledgthencethrough pipe 40, two-way valve l1, pipe ll, temperature controlling coil II, and a pipe 42, back to the pump 36. Thiswillcausethe cooling ofthe coil II and the air flowingthrough the chamber A.

When it is desired to employ this apparatus for heating pu'rpoas the two-way valve II is turned so as to interrupt the circuit Just traced and to 'establish communication between the pipe 2.

leading to the heating coil IO and a pipe I leading to the temperaturecontrolling coil ll. Under these conditions the pump It cannot force the heating medium through the cooling coil ll because the valve II in this position closes pipe 40. This pump will, however, force the fluid medium in a second closed circuit through the pipe 38, heating coil IS, in the boiler D where it is heated, pipe 20, valve l'l pipe 4|, temperature controlling coil II and pipe I back to the pump I. This will heat the coil II and the air flowing through the chamber A. The other portions of the apparatus are constructed similarly to and operate in the same manner as those previously described in connection with Fig. 1. It will be noted that in the construction just described the a heating and cooling coils are connected in parallel with each other and separably in series with the coil H and that the fluid medium therein is separate from that in the boiler D, condenser B, and evaporator C.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a very simple and efllcient system for conditioning ventilating air is provided by the present invention and one operating quietly and with a minimum of moving a Other modifications and changes in the proportions and arrangement oi the parts, other heated fluid to said temperature controlling element; an evaporator; a cooling coil in said evaporator for supplying cooling fluid to said temperature controlling element; a condenser communicating with said temperature controlling element and said evaporator for receiving heating and cooling fluids therefrom; means for withdrawing fluid i'rom said condenser and delivering the same to said boiler and the heating coil therein and also to said evaporator and the cooling coil therein; a steam ejector communicating with said boiler for reducing the pressure in said evaporator to cause the vaporization oi the fluid therein and the lowering oi the temperature oi.

the cooling fluid and for causing the flow'of'vapor from said evaporator to said condenser; a second i ejector communicating with said temperature controlling element and said condenser and arranged \in series with saidsteam ejector, said second ejector being operable by fluid from said' temperature controlling element when the same is employed for cooling purposes to liquefy the steam issuing from said steam ejector and the vapors of evaporation entrained thereby and to increase the pressure in said condenser, and also being operable by steam passing from said temperature controlling element when the same is employed for heating purposes to augment the action or said steam ejector; and means for se lectively establishing communication between said heating and cooling coils and said tempera- 'ture controlling element.

BO FOLKE RANDEL.

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