The Chambers Refrigerator.

Southland Times, Issue 8090, 19 August 1885, Page 4

The Chambers Refrigerator.

economical resnlli-in the. difect^oh^of .prodncirif? cold, 3 fe)uld c ße«ecn'red"by the'evaporationf|»i *DA#U c liquidi in vacuo and, the con-densw^ot^^'l^^P^^^l^-^PI^ 116^ action of cbolingwate^and 'pressufet andftbe <adtiaq«3 rtrfvapomfiSiiftnare-condensatioa J|^^^e| liquids; thaa bj any othefmeans; buVlalttwig^ tHis process ha& been rocoetif ally ' ap.^d on an extensive scale to the artiftcial-producfcioJi of ice by inch the »ame fl principle«to'ttee production of cold air, itibas remained to**a amateur to discover a vaccamtoTmodiSOoperanSu: This~gentleman is M/IJohiLOhimberß, of Te Mata/Napier, , Ifeit Zealand, -whoße^system o/,cooling air fot the pjniHeifatJon'ot meat wasshowjiiiu operation on Jnne 26, at B-Jetty, Victoria Docks 'Thfrtrrstem telba»ed'upon:a patent taken ont by; Hr;ohatnb«Tßinaßß2. - Since that-time it' has been an open Becret to those intere«t^^to'4hefroien I rnea6trade r betweeQ this eoantrywriL tiar colonieiiiaat theiadvantages, —both to the producer and consnmer of meat -^6f 'a less expensive proccss^thaa ia involved in the application -of other refrigerating syft&rwQaldtoorrbe seenred to those, after all, most,benefited in a more economioal^way of , preserving meat for export^ that ig to ? Bay, the public. ,We are informedjtbat the s de|ays whiSi have tikenplace in perfecting the .ex; perimental-machine have in no, way shaken the (M^fidenceinH.the pruxcigk adopted .by Mr Chambers, '-and that the tesults of the final tests ,whTch*haveißeen^applied'tothe machine atihe insulated chambers of the London and Str) SathaTiii^Doeks Company have shown itia¥lhe anfifcipite'd advantages 6f : the adoptipnjpf t tfii?a%monia^prpcess i in combination irftH^^hamDers' Inv^ntjptf -orer wh)it has kitherto beemcalled the cold-air process have beenf^jfexfaluedr Mr Chambers claims; to pjodooe^y-Jtn^aimnoniawmachice.and^his cobler^coK .' : atx^6r refrigeratitig purposes at a cost of oneifbnttll oi'lthTftt'oit machines now used on-the cold-air compre«iion system, for an equal xefrigeritinffxeflect in the cold stores, "**■"*-♦ - Mr Ohambl&rs 1 fi&foral ehgineeHng faculties were especially; stlmnlated by the motive of securing for himself Tftnd JEeUow, colonists, -as laTge3rbiiucer>.'of rto.&i. the'mdst adrantage. ira'"nieaWbf'^r^j[ng^fth'eir;priod_nce. ;He t?asof opinionHhat the systiemis of refrigera. tion which had been applied, so effectually and economically to the production J of ice conld also- be applied to the prodribtion of cold air, j and, he haa devoted himself for years to theperfectinj? of the air cooling apparatus which rifiir beiwihifl, name. It. o.trght to be stated that Mr Chamberh' apparatus is not a ■ machine- for^prbducing 1 ; refrigerating effect, but one for applying 'the effect produced by ammonia, sulphnrous^anhydride, ;ether, and other. Bimilai niacbineV, ''^'the "cooling and drying of air^ afeat which has not hi.berto been successfully accomplished.- , 1?o«p, an ordinary ammonia ice-making machine with a Chambers cooler attached may be utilised for the dual purpose of making ice for commercial purposes and for freezing or preserving meat; The cost of cos-1 is the chiet basis of'eomparisbnfor all systemsof refrigeration, and the measure of 'results may be lougbly itate^.Mf negative thermal units—the unit being the amount of heat necessary to change 'thetemperatnee 6i oneppund of water one jlggiej.bj: .tbe^l^hrenb^eit thermdrnttric scale. Thn?7 theoreticslf y j it Sas ticen c omputed that the maxitaum : cooling-; effect obtainable from the expenditure oi one pound of steam fiom — Air, by the compression and expansion system, which .Js the favourite one -now %rnse, is ... ... 127 thertoal units Ether, by compressioa ... 2£i „ ' „ flulp'hurons anhydride „, 376 „ ■;„ .Ammonia, by the absorption system ... ... 594 „ „ Ammonia, by the compression system. ... ,*. 978 i, ,) The maximum theoretical effect being bo Innoh in favour of ammonia by the cempres. -. ,sion sy B tem, it is evident that: the ammonia machine is the one. which theoretically ought to show the best results in connection with the Obatnbe'rß cooler, and hence it was? the one' chosen by Mr Chambers for practical experiment. _.. But althorjgh theoretically the arnmpnla comrtression machiae ma.y. ; show en efficiency about 7i times 'greater than air, and as an;ice>makfng' machine is no doubt 7 or 8 times' as efficientjyet^when working at temperatures, much lower than those necessary for making ice (aa is. the case forucoolinfr j •air for stores);' be found that the ratio o£ efficiency fell short offithe theoretical differ•enTce.- 'The 'nrajfe .point, therefore, to the public 'U not which is' 'theoretically' the best refriger. ;[ati9g m'acbinei,bat. which w practically the bisti . The yajue of a potipd of steam is. cot so luteiligible£to most people as that of a pound Li coal, 'so .the f.Qlla.f?ing : 'eet of figures baa been prepared showing ths numbrr of nega* i tive theiffial" uaits -tnatare practically prodnced frp^i >be tombnstios of a pennd of - ! coal by'the 6bb?e systems when working at jjßcb.^ temperatares 'as are applicabla.to .the cbolfqgpt air for,cold etores, The figur^l for the air system arcrbasad dn one'ef the esistiog <Easraa} macbipes, and give that make? $11 ■credit j t&Dje ior th 6 atamQnia compression i , jsystem aie based on tho calculations for tha i .firmnonimmachme with tha Chambers cooler already: referred to. Thee, practically, ths cooling cSectobtaioalsle from the ejfependiliire oi a potind of coal from— Air is -„, „, .•• 357 thermal naits Ether, by compression ... 803 „ „ Salphurpns anhydride ... 1,071 „ ,', j Ammonia, by ( the absorption ' I Bvstem „, ■•'.„ ... 1,249 „ „ ,4EimoDi3 r by the compression system ',«., „, 1,428 „ tf Tha taachine fiaspeoted |by ths visitors on Fridajrlast; at the B Jetty, Victoria T>ock=>j Consists of .twojjdaplicate.vertical cprapoacd fiteani'enginep, with one surface condenser , fcommoii.to both, and two pairs of duplicate single-acting ammonia compression pntaps, • with two separate and independent crank " shafts, two air,pnmps,^one water circulating and one brine pump, one ammonia condenser, • one ammonia refrigerator, and one Chambp.rs patent a ; r-cooi ; ng apparatus. The leading dimensions of the machinery are as follows : Steam engine, compound sdrface coudensine; high-pressure cylinder, 9 inches diameter, 15 inohcg . stroke j low-pressure cyliader, .14 inches diameter, 15 inches stroke, running at 100 revolutions per mhittfe. The ammonia compression pumps are two single-acting, 9 inches diameter, 15 iccbes stroke. The ammonia condenser and refrigerator consist of fcoHfl of. wrought-iron pipes, constructed much Jn theuso*! manne*. '/he machine is constructed for u?e on board ship or steamer, and is, of. 1 power equivalent to producing 12 tons cf ice per'day. Being duplicated in its principal parts it may be "worked by means, ofeftber enpine at full power by both engines each at' half-power, an arrangement which would be of "great : : value in case, of "itccWent, ayd which, may be regarded as an 'Insurance azainst the risk of a breakdown. Ihe ammonia machine and. the copier stand {•pnaa area df 306 superficial feet, and^occupy 'ajpace of .2,295 cu^ic feet. It is calculated to maintain at an average temperature of 15 .f.degreea 1,023- tons of measaremenfc space •' equal t0*454 tons of mutton. , The qnnntity of 'cold air 'delivered at zero is about 4,000-cubio feet per minute. The indicated borae- power g in.the ; tfbpicswillbe'3s, and the coal conIsumed probably 1 ton 2 ewt. per day of tw.enty-f our. hours; > iln.t j .njperateJatitudes the power would be reduced to 27 horse-power and the consumption of coal proportionally, 'average^ 'consumption 3 ' for a voyage throngh the. trppics would be about I ton per ' twenty fonThbnri." ; , ■" • The cooler, which is the subject of th» k patent}*may 'bb' described as a casNiron + \-'' ■-tom-a» s box wift'ipui/partitipnß, -or • ***" are "secared f piirgun-metai to r»" \-•* w drilled to receive thelowe''' J plates, cadh t^ubes.. SUdeiin^.^ - #pds of popper into openings jrv-^-dtrirbn frames »'.e fitted box for th* - the sides of the cas-irdn - vartiB 1 "^ -«i tpurpbse, when neceßsary,|Df/ retv * - the curfent^f air wbich ipfoskn * tabes. -^.TBe : refrigeratiriK * > liquid or bnue^^circulafes v roiiiid^ 'these U i^tube«^andJtlie:^riiicipls^of tb? patent consists iif Ktjemoyingr^*he ■; gresjS»r^ part of the moisture from the: air rby coadsnssition injo v water: before ther* freezing poiat ' is reached pasflage *f ; the air through the tubes. Thfe i'. wafer tfiuij; fWreßted from : the jiir is de- • posited in th? bbttoai pf the iron box, and =^^Wli(^w^itre^^6ngh\c(^k3 [ pr^ ,<f or^Me^ufpose; a? ; long as >fcb«:air from; out"^siae is p^ed-j^o^iHt^s t^bpsi;./ Tn practics ; ■?.'♦■ tiiis bnly* bc^u^ ;f^«"'"ia": flho^pperiod, for as ' aabn as thelnsoiatea space is filled with cold air, the machine draws ilsaipply from the

t and over again.' Any portion of the watery - vapour which may be deposited in the tubes in the shape or snow or ice is removed Ay^ - reversing the current of air, -and the absence 'of snow from the cold chambers. and fro,m the channels of communication between the - coolers and the insulated chambers is, one of 'the claims raised by the inventor of the . I superiority of his process over any other . } existirg~ process, '- ■ . ', Other advantages claimed hy the inventor ' , are that the insulated chambers are entirely ' ! free from fog, and the air used for cooling , I them i not inpregnaigd with lubricating I material tnd thereby rendered impnre, which ■ }iB unavoidable by the cold air procenf. The . popular pn judices against the use of ammonia 1 1 or"^refrigerating maclioes a»e:—(l) That \ the vapour of ammonia is explosive ; (2) : that, in the event of accident, the suffocating nature of the vapour wjould be" dangerous to life ; (3) that by reason of.the high pressures ; at which, the machine works, eep-cially in , • hot climates, it would ba difficult to keep I the joints gas-tight All of these are simply ■ prejudices, and nothing more, ior the followi ing (reasons :~(1) The vapour of ammonia'is not explosive, except at temperatures , ' which never come withia the sphere of prac- \ tical experience m the process of refrigera. ' tion. Under ordinary conditions'it will ex- . tingnisb fire. (2) The vapour is not more ; suffocating than coal gas. , (3) The difficulty ;of keeping the joints tight under high pres--5 lure is simply a* mechanical one, and has already been thoroughly overcome. . In the ; semi-tropical towns of the American obntiI neat, such as. New Orleans_and other. Couth- ; lem cities, numbers of ammdnia refrigerating ; | machines for icemaking and brewing pur- _ ; poses are in daily successful use, 1 and from ; ; their great economy of working are super- \ ■ aedingsllotherkindsT"- . , ; •: .: , ■ ; Such are the JprincipleS;. upon,', which jthe * t Chambers, system of .cooling air-isba?ed r and : ■ tlie of which waß sneceesf all/ &e- ■ j monstrated to the visitor^. Underneath the \ eagine^room are four chambers, into which • the cold air .was discharged. The latter ■ were found |to be of the temperature of 11 ; \ deg.JFahr,, or ; 21 degs. below freering-point.