Refrigeration – Processes – Compressing – condensing and evaporating
Patent
1998-06-19
2000-02-29
Tapolcai, William E.
Refrigeration
Processes
Compressing, condensing and evaporating
62240, 62506, 165 44, 440 88, B63B 2526
Patent
active
060294639
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
In pleasure water craft, there is normally a shortage of available electric current. In particular in sailing boats, accumulator batteries can be charged only during short periods (a) by means of current from land, or (b) by means of a combustion engine having a battery charging generator which charges the battery(ies) when the engine is running. While using electrical equipment like refrigerators or other cooling apparatus, it is therefore important that the consumption of current is reduced as far as possible for the purpose of saving energy. This is also a problem in motor boats and all types of other water craft.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, air cooled condensers have been used for cooling or condensing the cooling medium used in a refrigerator. Such air condensers make use of a fan, which consumes current and which is also somewhat noisy. Further, the air condensers often occupy a large space in the boat. In some cases attempts have been made to make use of the sea water outside the boat hull for creating the necessary low temperature for condensing the cooling medium. This often also increases the efficiency, since the sea water is normally substantially colder than the air inside the boat. However, where this is done, exterior cooling slings are mounted unprotected against mechanical actuation from outside, and they are often subjected to corrosion and fouling. This reduces the cooling effect thereof. It is also unsuitable to drill one or more bores through the hull in order to have the exterior condenser tubes or slings extend through the hull, since there may easily appear leakage therefrom. Further, the condenser slings can easily be damaged by objects appearing in the vicinity thereof, since such slings extend completely unprotected along the exterior side of the hull.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The basis of the invention is the idea of making use of rocking movements and other movements of the boat in the sea, or the movements of the surrounding sea waves, for providing a cooling apparatus, for instance a condenser, which does not consume any electric current at all. To this end there is used, according to the invention, a type of open outlet which opens underneath the level of the source of water, especially underneath the sea water level outside the boat. For instance, the outlet of a drainage hose of a sink or washing means, or any other similar lead-through means provided through the boat hull and which opens underneath the water level outside the boat hull can be used. In particular, an "open" lead-through (inlet) means of a boat is suitable. In such an outlet tube, there often appears a type of "pumping movement" of water as soon as the boat moves in the water, or when there are wave movements in the water outside the boat. An advantage of such an open outlet is that the outlet hose always provides an open communication between the sea water at the exterior side of the boat hull, underneath the sea water level, and the atmospheric air above the sink. In most cases the boat rocks more or less, and a water column moves up and down in the outlet (drainage) hose inside the boat. The water column in this outlet hose also acts according to the principle of communicating vessels in relation to the water outside the boat hull, whether the raising and lowering of the water column in the outlet hose depends on the fact that the boat rocks or that there are wave movements in the water outside the boat hull.
Now the invention is to be described more in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a couple of different embodiments of a cooler or condenser, in particular--but not solely--useful for refrigerators, freezing boxes or similar apparatus mounted in water craft. It is obvious to the expert that the coolers or condensers described in the following can be used for cooling of all kinds of hot fluids in water craft.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a cross section view through a boat hull according to the prior art having a
REFERENCES:
patent: 2682852 (1954-07-01), Ruffolo
patent: 3540229 (1970-11-01), Bunten
patent: 4355518 (1982-10-01), Beitner
patent: 4557319 (1985-12-01), Arnold
patent: 5848536 (1998-12-01), Dodge et al.
patent: 5890939 (1999-04-01), Cotton
Tapolcai William E.
Thermoprodukter AB
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