Chicago Bridge & Iron Company

Cbi Research Corporation

Bryan D Knodel

Terry A Gallagher

John S Ludwigsen

Jill L Ludwigsen

Joseph A Costenero

An improved refrigeration cycle in which a refrigerant vapor is compressed, condensed and then evaporated for cooling purposes by direct contact with a liquid to be cooled, the improvement comprising feeding a refrigerant vapor to an aqueous liquid sealed compressor; feeding compressor sealing aqueous liquid to the compressor; compressing the refrigerant vapor in the compressor and removing a mixture of compressed refrigerant vapor and aqueous liquid from the compressor; separating aqueous liquid from the refrigerant vapor and returning the aqueous liquid to the compressor; condensing the refrigerant vapor to a liquid, directly contacting the liquefied refrigerant with a liquid to be cooled; and, returning the refrigerant vapor to the compressor.

Refrigeration method and apparatus using aqueous liquid sealed compressor

A direct contact evaporator-freezer comprising a body defining a chamber having an upper vapor discharge opening and a lower aqueous slurry discharge opening; a conduit to supply an aqueous liquid to the chamber at a rate which produces a pool of liquid in the chamber while aqueous slurry is discharged therefrom; and a nozzle to spray a liquid refrigerant in the form of small high velocity droplets into the aqueous liquid in the chamber.

Direct contact evaporator/freezer

A method of producing ice while substantially reducing encapsulation of refrigerant in the ice by feeding a liquefied refrigerant in the form of a jet of very fine droplets to an aqueous body whereby the liquefied refrigerant is very rapidly vaporized and ice is produced, by transfer of heat from the adjacent water to the refrigerant, without encapsulating any significant amount of refrigerant in the ice. The refrigerant within the feeding device is desirably at a temperature above the freezing point of the aqueous body so as to prevent ice from forming on refrigerant feeding devices and blocking outlet orifices therein. Apparatus for producing ice in an aqueous body comprising a closed vessel for holding an aqueous body; a device for feeding a liquefied refrigerant in the form of very fine droplets to an aqueous body in the vessel; a conduit for feeding an aqueous liquid into the vessel; and a conduit for withdrawing an aqueous ice slurry and refrigerant vapor from the vessel.

Apparatus and method of ice production by direct refrigerant contact

A method comprising feeding a liquefied refrigerant gas into direct contact with aqueous liquid in an enclosed vessel to chill or cool the liquid and/or produce ice crystals and vaporize the refrigerant by heat exchange with the aqueous liquid; feeding a mixture of cold aqueous liquid and/or ice and refrigerant from the vessel to an enclosed storage tank to provide cold aqueous liquid and/or ice therein; removing refrigerant vapor from the storage tank; converting the refrigerant vapor to liquid refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle and feeding the liquid refrigerant back to the enclosed vessel; and withdrawing aqueous liquid from the storage tank and feeding it to the enclosed vessel; with all said refrigerant and aqueous liquid streams and volumes being in a single closed system such that refrigerant and aqueous liquid are not lost except by inadvertent leaks and consumption of such materials is avoided because they are not withdrawn from the system. Apparatus is also disclosed for practicing the described method.

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Plainfield, IL, United States of America

Bryan D Knodel