EP0231014A1

EP0231014A1 - Procedure and means for vaporizing freon

Info

Publication number: EP0231014A1
Application number: EP87101093A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Heinz Ekman
Original assignee: Scan Development Oy
Current assignee: Scan Development Oy
Priority date: 1986-01-28
Filing date: 1987-01-27
Publication date: 1987-08-05
Also published as: FI72884B; NO870340D0; NO870340L; FI860410A0; JPS62248901A; FI72884C

Abstract

A procedure for vaporizing a substance evaporating at relatively low temperature, preferably about 60-90°C, to be circulated in a process utilizing vapour pressure, such as a piston motor process, e.g. freon or ammonia in a vaporizing boiler (1), into the lower part of which liquid freon is conducted and from the upper part of which the pressurized, vaporized freon emerges. With the procedure of the invention it has been possible to improve the efficiency of the system in that the boiler (1) is partly filled with a fluid heavier than liquid freon, such as oil (11), which is heated substantially close to the surface in such manner that the temperature of the oil close to the surface is higher than or equal to the vaporizing temperature of freon, whereby the freon conducted to the lower part of the boiler in among the oil, while ascending, is heated at the same time and ultimately, evaporates before leaving the boiler.

Description

The present invention concerns a procedure for vaporizing a substance evaporating at relatively low temperature, preferably about 60-90°C to be circulated in a process utilizing vapour pressure, such as a piston engine process, e.g. freon or ammonia, in a vaporizing boiler, into the lower part of which liquid freon is conducted, and from the upper part of which the pressurized, vaporized freon emerges, and a vaporizing boiler in which the procedure is applied.
At present such apparatus is known in which liquid freon or equivalent is heated, whereby the freon evaporates and its pressure increases. Such apparatus includes freon radiators, in which freon is present in an enclosed space heated from below, for instance with an electrical resistance. The freon evaporates and, being lighter than air, rises upwards, at the same time releasing its heat and ultimately, condensing. The utilization of evaporated pressurized freon, as well as of other gaseous substances in various other processes in which a pressure cylinder motor is operated with the aid of vapour is equally known in prior art.
The object of the present invention is to provide a procedure for vaporizing liquid freon or equivalent substance evaporating at relatively low temperature and pressurizing it in a vaporizing boiler, and a vaporizing boiler in which the procedure is applied. The procedure of the invention is characterized in that the boiler is partly filled with a fluid heavier than liquid freon, such as oil, which is heated substantially close to the surface so that the temperature of the oil close to the surface is higher than or equal to the evaporation temperature of freon, whereby the freon conducted to the lower part of the vaporizing boiler in among the oil, while rising upwards, is heated at the same time and ultimately, evaporates before leaving the boiler.
The vaporizing boiler applying the procedure of the invention is characterized in that the vaporizing boiler is partly filled with a fluid heavier than liquid freon, such as oil, and that close to the oil surface has been provided a unit heating the oil, such as an electrical resistance, which heats the oil in such manner that it is warmer close to the surface than in the lower part of the boiler.
Vaporizing liquid freon with the aid of the procedure and the vaporizing boiler of the invention is more efficient than before, and is accomplished with low energy consumption.
The invention is described in the following more in detail, referring to the drawing attached, in which -

Fig. 1 presents a process in which the vaporizing boiler of the invention can be applied.
Fig. 2 presents the vaporizing boiler of the invention in vertical section.

In Fig. 1 is presented a vaporizing boiler indicated by reference numeral 1, into which liquid freon, ammonia or another equivalent substance having evaporating temperature about 60-90°C is supplied with the aid of a pump 2 through a feed pipe 3. The gaseous, pressurized freon produced in the vaporizing boiler 1 is conducted out of the boiler by an outlet pipe 4 in the direction indicated by arrow 5. The vaporized freon has in the present embodiment example been conducted to a motor 6, which may be for instance motor operating with pressure cylinder, so that there is one or several cylinders and the movement of the pistons therein is controlled by pressurized freon in a manner known in itself in the art. To the rotating shaft of the motor 6 may be connected for instance an electric generator. Having lost some of its pressure, the gaseous freon goes from the motor 6 by the pipe 8 to a condenser 9 where it is again converted into a liquid. The liquid freon is again pumped with the pump 2 into the vaporizing boiler 1, and the cycle continues in the manner already described above.
In Fig. 2 is depicted the vertical section of the vaporizing boiler 1. The boiler 1 contains 11, e.g. to about 3/4. Close to the surface of the oil 11, yet under its surface, has been provided a heating unit 10, for instance an electrical resistance. Instead of the electrical resistance, any other heating method may be contemplated. The unit 10 may e.g. be a pipe in which hot water circulates. The heating unit placed in this manner heats the oil in such a way that the temperature of the oil close to the surface is higher than that in the lower part of the vaporizing boiler.
Oil is heavier than liquid freon; therefore, when freon is supplied with the aid of the pump 2 through the pipe 3 into the vaporizing boiler 1, the liquid freon begins to ascend. On the way up, the temperature of the oil 11 rises, whereby the freon begins to evaporate and freon bubbles 12 are formed. In the upper part of the vaporizing boiler 1, an open space 13 is arranged above the oil space, in which the pressurized, evaporated freon accumulates and whence it departs by an outlet pipe 4 to the process described above.
It is advantageous to use for freon for instance freon 22 which binds a small quantity of oil which serves to lubricate the motor and other components of the apparatus while the freon is circulating in the process.
It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted to the above embodiment examples presented in the foregoing, and that it can be varied within the scope of the claims following below.

Claims

1. A procedure for vaporizing a substance evaporating at relatively low temperature, preferably about 60-90°C, to be circulated in a process utilizing vapour pressure, such as a piston motor process, e.g. freon or ammonia, in a vaporizing boiler (1), into the lower part of which liquid freon is conducted, and from the upper part of which the pressurized, vaporized freon emerges, characterized in that the vaporizing boiler (1) is partly filled with a fluid heavier than liquid freon, such as oil (11), which is heated substantially close to its surface so that the temperature of the oil close to the surface is higher that or equal to the evaporating temperature of freon, whereby the freon conducted in the lower part of the vaporizing boiler in among the oil, while rising upwards, is heated at the same time and ultimately, evaporates before leaving the boiler.

2. A vaporizing boiler (1) in which the procedure according to claim 1 is applied and in the lower part of which has been provided a feed pipe (3) for liquid freon and in the upper part, an outlet pipe (4) for evaporated freon, characterized in that the vaporizing boiler (1) is partly filled with a fluid heavier than liquid freon, such as oil (11), and that close to the oil surface therebelow has been provided a unit (10) for heating the oil, such as an electrical resistance, to heat the oil in such manner that it is warmer close to the surface than in the lower part of the boiler.