Steam jet refrigeration apparatus

Claim 2

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus for cooling fluids comprising a source of relatively high pressure steam, a compound ejector having a primary nozzle, a secondary nozzle, a mixing chamber and a diffuser, a device operatively connected to said primary nozzle for reducing the steam pressure thereto, said secondary nozzle receiving the full steam pressure, an evaporator connected to the condenser, means connecting the evaporator to said mixing chamber of said ejector, the refrigeration being accomplished by evaporation of water in the evaporator at a lower pressure wherein the heat of evaporation is extracted from the fluid to be cooled, said low evaporator pressure being maintained by removing the vapor from the evaporator through said connecting means whereby said vapor is captured by the jet of the primary nozzle of said ejector, the flow of steam leaving said primary nozzle inducing the flow of said vapor from the evaporator through said connecting means to said chamber, wherein said secondary nozzle is ring-shaped and surrounds the stream of steam issuing from said primary nozzle and the vapor captured thereby.

Claim 3

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a superheater in the line between said steam source and said secondary nozzle.

Claim 4

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said secondary nozzle is supplied with high pressure superheated steam.

Claim 5

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for automatically reducing or increasing the amount of steam admitted to the secondary nozzle of said ejector to match the steam supply with the varying steam requirement, said changes in steam requirement being due to variations of the condenser pressure, while said means maintains a constant pressure in the evaporator of said ejector.

Claim 6

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for automatically reducing or increasing the steam supply to the secondary nozzle of said ejector including a throttling modulating control valve, a first pressure controller for sensing condenser pressure, a second pressure controller for maintaining a constant predetermined pressure in the evaporator, said first pressure controller sensing the condenser pressure acting upon a decrease in condenser pressure to close partially said control valve, said second pressure controller acting to reset said first pressure controller and/or to override the latter if the pressure in the mixing chamber or in the evaporator rises above said constant predetermined pressure therein.

Claim 7

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary nozzles of said compound ejector are located around the secondary nozzles of said compound ejector with one common mixing chamber for the primary and secondary nozzles.

Claim 8

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus for cooling liquids comprising a source of relatively high pressure steam, an ejector, a condenser, the ejector delivering to said condenser, an evaporator, said evaporator receiving the condensate from said condenser and connected to deliver vapor to said ejector, said ejector comprising a first nozzle means connected through a pressure reducing means to said sTeam source, the connection between the evaporator and the ejector opening to the ejector adjacent said first nozzle whereby vapor from the evaporator is captured by relatively low pressure steam issuing from said first nozzle, and a second nozzle receiving full steam pressure, said first and second nozzles opening to a common mixing chamber whereby steam from said second nozzle means is directed to mix with the steam of the first nozzle and the vapor captured thereby, the uncompressed mixture issuing to a single common diffuser wherein the velocity of said mixture is reduced and the pressure increased, the refrigeration being accomplished by evaporation of water in the evaporator at a low pressure wherein the heat of evaporation is extracted from the fluid to be cooled, said low evaporator pressure being maintained by removing the vapor through said ejector.

Claim 9

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus for cooling liquids comprising a source of relatively high pressure steam, an ejector, a condenser, the ejector delivering to said condenser, an evaporator, said evaporator receiving the condensate from said condenser and connected to deliver vapor to said ejector, said ejector comprising a first nozzle means connected through a pressure reducing means to said sTeam source, the connection between the evaporator and the ejector opening to the ejector adjacent said first nozzle whereby vapor from the evaporator is captured by relatively low pressure steam issuing from said first nozzle, and a second nozzle receiving full steam pressure, said first and second nozzles opening to a common mixing chamber whereby steam from said second nozzle means is directed to mix with the steam of the first nozzle and the vapor captured thereby, the uncompressed mixture issuing to a single common diffuser wherein the velocity of said mixture is reduced and the pressure increased, the refrigeration being accomplished by evaporation of water in the evaporator at a low pressure wherein the heat of evaporation is extracted from the fluid to be cooled, said low evaporator pressure being maintained by removing the vapor through said ejector.

Claim 10

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fluid to be cooled is water.

Claim 11

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fluid to be cooled is air.

Claim 12

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus for cooling fluids comprising a source of relatively high pressure steam, a compound ejector having a primary nozzle, a secondary nozzle, a mixing chamber and a diffuser, a device operatively connected to said primary nozzle for reducing the steam pressure thereto, said secondary nozzle receiving the full steam pressure, an evaporator connected to the condenser, means connecting the evaporator to said mixing chamber of said ejector, the refrigeration being accomplished by evaporation of water in the evaporator at a low pressure wherein the heat of evaporation is extracted from the fluid to be cooled, said low evaporator pressure being maintained by removing the vapor from the evaporator through said connecting means whereby said vapor is captured by the jet of the primary nozzle of said ejector, the flow of steam leaving said primary nozzle inducing the flow of said vapor from the evaporator through said connecting means to said chamber, wherein a number of smaller secondary nozzles are arranged in a circle around the stream of steam issuing from said primary nozzle and the vapor captured thereby.

Claim 13

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus for cooling fluids comprising a source of relatively high pressure steam, a compound ejector having a primary nozzle, a secondary nozzle, a mixing chamber and a diffuser, a device operatively connected to said primary nozzle for reducing the steam pressure thereto, said secondary nozzle receiving the full steam pressure, an evaporator connected to the condenser, means connecting the evaporator to said mixing chamber of said ejector, the refrigeration being accomplished by evaporation of water in the evaporator at a low pressure wherein the heat of evaporation is extracted from the fluid to be cooled, said low evaporator pressure being maintained by removing the vapor from the evaporator through said connecting means whereby said vapor is captured by the jet of the primary nozzle of said ejector, the flow of steam leaving said primary nozzle inducing the flow of said vapor from the evaporator through said connecting means to said chamber, wherein a number of smaller secondary nozzles are arranged in a circle around the stream of steam issuing from said primary nozzle and the vapor captured thereby.

Claim 14

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus for cooling fluids, comprising a source of relatively high pressure steam, a compound ejector having a primary nozzle, a primary mixing chamber, a secondary nozzle, a secondary mixing chamber and a diffuser, a superheater in the line between said steam source and said secondary nozzle, a device operatively connected to said primary nozzle for reducing the steam pressure thereto, said secondary nozzle receiving full steam pressure, an evaporator connected to the condenser, means connecting the evaporator to said primary mixing chamber of said ejector, the refrigeration being accomplished by evaporation of water in the evaporator at a low pressure wherein the heat of evaporation is extracted from the fluid to be cooled, said low evaporator pressure being maintained by removing the vapor from the evaporator through said connecting means whereby said vapor is captured by the jet of the primary nozzle of said ejector.

Claim 15

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus for cooling fluids, comprising a source of relatively high pressure steam, a compound ejector having a primary nozzle, a primary mixing chamber, a secondary nozzle, a secondary mixing chamber and a diffuser, a superheater in the line between said steam source and said secondary nozzle, a device operatively connected to said primary nozzle for reducing the steam pressure thereto, said secondary nozzle receiving full steam pressure, an evaporator connected to the condenser, means connecting the evaporator to said primary mixing chamber of said ejector, the refrigeration being accomplished by evaporation of water in the evaporator at a low pressure wherein the heat of evaporation is extracted from the fluid to be cooled, said low evaporator pressure being maintained by removing the vapor from the evaporator through said connecting means whereby said vapor is captured by the jet of the primary nozzle of said ejector.

Claim 16

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus, comprising a source of relatively high pressure steam, a two stage compound ejector having in the first stage a nozzle, mixing chamber and diffuser, in the second stage a nozzle arranged around the stream ejected from the first stage ejector, a mixing chamber and a diffuser, a device operatively connected to said nozzle of the first stage ejector for reducing the steam pressure thereto, said nozzle of the second stage ejector receiving full steam pressure, a condenser, an evaporator connected to the condenser, means connecting the evaporator to said mixing chamber of the first stage ejector, the refrigeration being accomplished by evaporation of water in the evaporator at a low pressure whereby the heat of evaporation is extracted from the fluid to be cooled, said low evaporator pressure beiNg maintained by removing the vapor from the evaporator through said connecting means whereby said vapor is captured by the jet of the nozzle of the first stage ejector wherein the jet stream of the secondary nozzle and the stream of mixture ejected from the diffuser of the first stage ejector form an acute angle.

Claim 17

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus, comprising a source of relatively high pressure steam, a two stage compound ejector having in the first stage a nozzle, mixing chamber and diffuser, in the second stage a nozzle arranged around the stream ejected from the first stage ejector, a mixing chamber and a diffuser, a device operatively connected to said nozzle of the first stage ejector for reducing the steam pressure thereto, said nozzle of the second stage ejector receiving full steam pressure, a condenser, an evaporator connected to the condenser, means connecting the evaporator to said mixing chamber of the first stage ejector, the refrigeration being accomplished by evaporation of water in the evaporator at a low pressure whereby the heat of evaporation is extracted from the fluid to be cooled, said low evaporator pressure beiNg maintained by removing the vapor from the evaporator through said connecting means whereby said vapor is captured by the jet of the nozzle of the first stage ejector wherein the jet stream of the secondary nozzle and the stream of mixture ejected from the diffuser of the first stage ejector form an acute angle.

Claim 18

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus for cooling fluids comprising an arrangement having a compound ejector; a source of steam for said ejector; a condenser; an evaporator; a plurality of connections between the ejector, condenser and evaporator; a timer control means unit for said ejector whereby said ejector may be made operative or inoperative a constant number of times per unit of time whereby the duration of the operative or inoperative periods of the ejector may be automatically varied to match the capacity of the apparatus with the demand.

Claim 19

A steam jet refrigeration apparatus for cooling fluids comprising an arrangement having a compound ejector; a source of steam for said ejector; a condenser; an evaporator; a plurality of connections between the ejector, condenser and evaporator; a timer control means unit for said ejector whereby said ejector may be made operative or inoperative a constant number of times per unit of time whereby the duration of the operative or inoperative periods of the ejector may be automatically varied to match the capacity of the apparatus with the demand.