Cold air supply unit

Details Cold air supply unit Cold air supply unit

1996-07-19

1998-10-20

Joyce, Harold

Refrigeration

Air compressor, cooler and expander type

62408, 62 86, 62 87, F25D 900

Patent

active

058230084

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a mobile cold air supply unit, more particularly to a compact low-temperature air generator with relatively low internal pressure that is freely usable for supplying a facility requiring ice making or a facility requiring cooling with cold air at around minus 5.degree. C.-minus 45.degree. C. at around 1.0-1.1 atm, that is, at a pressure near normal atmospheric pressure.


BACKGROUND ART

The conventional ordinary refrigerating cycle is configured to utilize Freon, ammonia or the like as the refrigerant and the refrigerant is circulated in a closed cycle. The Freon refrigerants most commonly used are environment-destroying substances and require a high pressure on the order of 15-20 kg/cm.sup.2 for establishing the refrigerating cycle. The refrigerator and the pump unit are therefore configured based on specifications that stress leak and pressure proofing of the entire system. Various types with such specifications are in practical use.
On the other hand, technologies are known for obtaining low-temperature air without use of an environment-destroying substance like Freon, by compressing and cooling totally harmless air itself and then adiabatically expanding it to obtain low-temperature air. For example, technologies have been proposed in JPA-5-113258, JPA-6-213521, JPB-59-52343 etc. regarding improved compressors and expanders for this purpose, in JPA-6-34212 and JPA-5-223377 regarding improved separation of water from the treated air, in JPA-63-315866, JPA-5-231732, JPA-5-223375, JPA-2-97850 etc. regarding apparatus control, and in JPA-6-207755, JPA-6-213521 etc. regarding heat recovery.


OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

In the construction of ice rinks, bobsleigh facilities and other such winter sports facilities and in such refrigerated storage fields as refrigerated storage units, containers and the like, whether stationary or mobile, it is desirable to achieve the cooling without use of Freon. While the air-type cooling systems proposed in the aforesaid publications each has its own special features, none of such air-type cooling systems has been actually utilized in the construction of such facilities. In short, no economical packaged air-type cold air supply unit which is freely portable to the construction site and usable by anyone has been commercially available.
This invention therefore aims at overcoming this problem by providing a packaged cold air supply unit capable of supplying low-temperature (minus 5.degree. C.-minus 45.degree. C.) air at near normal atmospheric pressure at any location where air and water are available or, in some cases, where air, water and electricity are available.


DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a mobile cold air supply unit which essentially comprises, as housed in a single casing, an air compressor-expander constituted of an integral combination of a motor, an air compressor and an air expander, an air-to-water heat exchanger and an air-to-air heat exchanger, is furnished in the casing with air tubing for interconnecting the aforesaid components at an air pressure not higher than 5 kg/cm.sup.2, preferably not higher than 3 kg/cm.sup.2 and more preferably not higher than 2 kg/cm.sup.2, and is provided with a cold air discharge connection, a return air intake connection, a cooling water outlet connection and a cooling water intake connection.
The air compressor-expander is an integrated unit in which the shaft of the motor is connected through gearing with the shaft of the air compressor and the shaft of the air expander. The motor, which is for imparting rotational power, can be an electric motor or an internal combustion engine. The air compressor is preferably a single-suction, single-stage blower turbocompressor and the air expander is preferably a single-stage centrifugal turbine. In this integrated air compressor-expander, the work of the air expander is recovered as a reduction of the motor power. The power recovery rate is about 50% at maximum and ordinarily 42-45%. While a single air compress

REFERENCES:
patent: 5642629 (1997-07-01), Ohman

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