An ice storage system

Abstract

The application discloses an ice storage system, which comprises an ice maker, an ice crusher, an ice storage pool and a controller. The ice maker comprises an evaporator and a plurality of sprayers. The ice crusher is arranged below the evaporator and comprises a cutter seat and a cutter group. The cutter group is installed on the cutter seat. The ice storage pool is provided with a falling ice port at the top, and the falling ice port is arranged below the ice crusher. The ice storage pool is provided with a first water pump and a second water pump at the bottom. The first water pump is connected with the sprayer, and the first water pump is used for conveying water in the ice storage pool to the sprayer. The second water pump is used for conveying water in the ice storage pool to a heat exchanger. The sidewall of the ice storage pool is further provided with a water adding device. The controller is in communication connection with the ice maker, the first water pump and the second water pump. The controller is used for controlling the ice maker to enter an ice making state or stop the ice making state. The controller is further used for controlling the first water pump and the second water pump to start working or stop working. The ice maker can efficiently, stably and safely make ice without hidden dangers such as ice blockage and ice explosion. The ice maker can be widely applied in the fields of food processing, construction, medicine and chemical industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration and cold storage devices, and particularly to an ice storage system. Background Technology

[0002] Ice storage air conditioning is a user-side management technology that plays a significant role in peak shaving and valley filling of the power grid load. This technology uses surplus electricity at night to start refrigeration units to make ice and store the cooling capacity in the form of ice. During peak electricity consumption periods in the daytime, the cooling capacity is released by melting the ice to meet the needs of air conditioning users, thereby avoiding or reducing the use of electricity during peak periods, realizing peak shaving and valley filling of the power grid load, alleviating the peak-valley difference contradiction of the power grid load, improving the operating efficiency of power plants, and ultimately achieving overall energy conservation and emission reduction benefits.

[0003] With increasingly urgent requirements for energy conservation and emission reduction, air conditioning and refrigeration systems are increasingly adopting off-peak electricity storage for cold energy. Traditional cold energy storage methods include: Ice storage (which has problems such as low unit efficiency, complex ice storage and release processes, high engineering costs, and safety hazards like ice blockage); Ice slurry storage (which has problems such as low efficiency in producing ice slurry from pure water, cumbersome ice slurry storage, easy condensation of ice slurry, and many potential hazards during ice slurry transportation); and Traditional chilled water storage (due to the aforementioned problems and potential failures, many air conditioning systems now use chilled water storage, but this method also suffers from low cold energy storage capacity and excessively high chilled water temperatures, typically above 4°C). Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes an ice storage system that can produce ice efficiently, stably, and without hidden dangers, eliminating safety hazards such as ice blockage and ice explosion, and can be widely used in food processing, construction, medicine, and chemical industries.

[0005] An ice storage system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes:

[0006] An ice maker, including an evaporator and several sprayers;

[0007] An ice crusher is disposed below the evaporator. The ice crusher includes a blade holder and a blade assembly, with the blade assembly mounted on the blade holder.

[0008] An ice storage tank has an ice drop outlet at the top, located below the ice crusher. A first water pump and a second water pump are installed at the bottom of the ice storage tank. The first water pump is connected to the sprayer and delivers water from the ice storage tank to the sprayer. The second water pump delivers water from the ice storage tank to the heat exchanger. A water filling device is also installed on the side wall of the ice storage tank.

[0009] The controller is communicatively connected to the ice maker, the first water pump, and the second water pump. The controller is used to control the ice maker to enter or stop the ice-making state, and the controller is also used to control the first water pump and the second water pump to start or stop working.

[0010] An ice storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: A sprayer is installed on the evaporator to evenly spray water onto it, improving heat exchange efficiency; an ice crusher breaks up large ice blocks, and the multiple blades in the crusher enhance crushing efficiency, reduce ice blockage, and prevent large ice blocks from affecting the operation of the first and second water pumps. The first water pump repeatedly transports water from the ice storage tank to the evaporator, thereby lowering the water temperature and completing the ice storage process; the second water pump transports the cold water from the ice storage tank to the heat exchanger, thereby completing the cold release process; a water adding device replenishes the liquid level in the ice storage tank in a timely manner, preventing the liquid level from being too low and affecting the operation of the first and second water pumps. This ice storage system has high cooling efficiency, flexible configuration, simple and efficient cold release, and can produce low-temperature cold water. Controlling the ice maker, the first water pump, and the second water pump using a controller allows for more precise control of the ice storage system, achieving automation and further improving the system's energy efficiency.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the evaporator is provided with multiple cold exchange plates, each cold exchange plate having a hollow structure. A first interface is provided at the top of each cold exchange plate, and a second interface is provided at the bottom of each cold exchange plate. The first interface communicates with the hollow structure, and the second interface also communicates with the hollow structure. Providing multiple cold exchange plates can improve the efficiency of cold storage and save time required for ice making. The first and second interfaces can be connected to different refrigerants or heating media to achieve different functions.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the cooling plate is provided with a temperature sensor, which is communicatively connected to the controller. The temperature sensor is used to acquire the temperature in the ice storage tank. When the temperature sensor determines that the temperature of the cooling plate is greater than 0°C, it generates a first signal and sends the first signal to the controller, so that the controller controls the second interface to introduce refrigerant according to the first signal, and the first interface to discharge refrigerant.

[0013] When the temperature sensor determines that the temperature of the cooling plate is less than or equal to 0°C, it generates a second signal and sends the second signal to the controller. The controller then controls the first interface to allow de-icing agent to flow in, and the second interface to allow de-icing agent to flow out. The introduction of refrigerant enables cold storage, while the introduction of de-icing agent removes frost from the surface of the cooling plate, allowing the ice to be demolded.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the number of sprayers is matched with the number of cooling plates, and the water outlet of the sprayers abuts against the cooling plates. This improves the efficiency of cold storage, and setting multiple sprayers increases the moisture content on the cooling plates, thereby completing cold storage more quickly.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a first valve is provided between the first water pump and the sprayer, and a second valve is provided between the first water pump and the ice storage tank. The first valve and the second valve are communicatively connected to the controller, which controls the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve. A third valve is provided between the second water pump and the ice storage tank, and a fourth valve is provided between the second water pump and the heat exchanger. The third valve and the fourth valve are communicatively connected to the controller, which controls the opening and closing of the third valve and the fourth valve. Providing multiple valves ensures the normal operation of the pipeline, regulates the flow rate, and prevents backflow.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the side wall of the ice storage tank is provided with a liquid level sensor, the liquid level sensor is used to obtain the liquid level height in the ice storage tank, and the controller is communicatively connected to the water filling device and the liquid level sensor;

[0017] When it is determined that the liquid level in the ice storage tank has not reached the threshold, the liquid level sensor generates a third signal and sends the third signal to the controller, so that the controller controls the water supply device to add water according to the third signal;

[0018] When the liquid level in the ice storage tank reaches a threshold, the liquid level sensor generates a fourth signal and sends it to the controller, causing the controller to stop the water supply device based on the fourth signal. Using a liquid level sensor to control the liquid level temperature allows workers to easily adjust the liquid level in the ice storage tank. Workers can set different thresholds according to different cooling capacity requirements, thereby controlling the liquid level to adapt to different operating conditions.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a collecting plate with a gradually decreasing inner diameter is provided above the ice crusher, and the ice crusher is connected at the point where the inner diameter of the collecting plate is smallest. This ensures that ice blocks can fall accurately into the ice storage tank.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a buffer and vibration isolation layer is provided outside the blade holder, with one end of the buffer and vibration isolation layer abutting against the blade holder and the other end abutting against the ice maker. The buffer and vibration isolation layer can reduce noise and vibration during the ice crushing process.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a return port is provided at the top of the ice storage tank, and one end of the heat exchanger is connected to the second water pump, while the other end is connected to the return port. This recovers the released cold water, avoiding waste of its cooling capacity and further improving the energy efficiency of the system.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the number of the blade sets is two, one of which is a moving blade set and the other is a fixed blade set.

[0023] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an ice storage cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0028] Reference numerals: Ice maker 100; Evaporator 110; Ice crusher 120; Ice outlet 130; Ice storage tank 140; First water pump 150; First valve 160; Second valve 170; Second water pump 180; Heat exchanger 190; Third valve 200; Water filling device 205; Fourth valve 210; Cold exchange plate 220; First interface 230; Second interface 240; Collection plate 250. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0030] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0031] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0032] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0033] Reference Figures 1 to 3 The ice maker 100 includes an evaporator 110 and several sprayers; an ice crusher 120 is located below the evaporator 110, and the ice crusher 120 includes a blade holder and a blade assembly, with the blade assembly mounted on the blade holder; an ice storage tank 140 has an ice drop outlet 130 at its top, located below the ice crusher 120; a first water pump 150 and a second water pump 180 are located at the bottom of the ice storage tank 140, the first water pump 150 is connected to the sprayers, and the first water pump 150 pumps the stored ice... Water from pool 140 is delivered to a sprayer. A second water pump 180 is used to deliver water from ice storage pool 140 to heat exchanger 190. A water filling device 205 is also provided on the side wall of ice storage pool 140. The controller is communicatively connected to ice maker 100, first water pump 150 and second water pump 180. The controller is used to control ice maker 100 to enter or stop ice making state. The controller is also used to control first water pump 150 and second water pump 180 to start or stop working. A sprayer is installed on the evaporator 110 to evenly spray water onto it. Refrigerant flows through the evaporator 110, facilitating heat exchange. Water droplets passing through the evaporator 110 have their heat carried away and flow into the ice storage tank 140 below. An ice crusher 120 is located below the evaporator 110. The ice crusher 120 breaks up ice blocks. It is understood that the ice crusher 120 has at least two sets of blades. These blade sets can be configured with both sets being moving blades, or one set being moving and the other a stationary blade. Different combinations allow for different compression and shearing techniques to obtain ice blocks of different shapes, preventing excessively large ice blocks from entering the ice storage tank 140. By adjusting the distance and rotation speed between the two sets of blades, ice blocks of different volumes can be obtained, thereby reducing the pressure on the pipes and water pump, and minimizing pump wear.

[0034] The first water pump 150 of the ice storage tank 140 delivers water to the evaporator 110. After multiple cycles, the heat of the water in the ice storage tank 140 is transferred to the evaporator 110, thereby lowering the water temperature. The second water pump 180 delivers the cold water from the ice storage tank 140 to the heat exchanger 190, thus completing the cooling process. A water filling device 205 is also provided on the side wall of the ice storage tank 140 to replenish water in a timely manner. Controlling the operation of the ice maker 100, the first water pump 150, and the second water pump 180 via a controller allows for more precise control of the ice storage system, achieving automation and further improving the system's energy efficiency. In some embodiments, the sprayer can be a spray pipe or a spray nozzle.

[0035] Reference Figure 2 The evaporator 110 is equipped with multiple heat exchange plates 220, each with a hollow structure. A first interface 230 is located at the top of each heat exchange plate 220, and a second interface 240 is located at the bottom. Both interfaces 230 and 240 connect to the hollow structure. The use of multiple heat exchange plates 220 improves cold storage efficiency and saves time required for ice making. The first interface 230 and the second interface 240 can be connected to different refrigerants or heating media to achieve different functions.

[0036] Reference Figures 1 to 2 A temperature sensor is installed inside the cold exchange plate 220. The temperature sensor is communicatively connected to the controller and is used to acquire the temperature of the cold exchange plate 220. When the temperature sensor determines that the temperature of the cold exchange plate 220 is greater than 0°C, it generates a first signal and sends the first signal to the controller. The controller then controls the second interface 240 to allow refrigerant to flow in, and the first interface 230 to allow refrigerant to flow out. The continuously circulating refrigerant can lower the temperature of the cold exchange plate 220, thereby lowering the temperature of the moisture on the surface of the cold exchange plate 220, thus completing the cold storage process.

[0037] When the temperature sensor determines that the temperature inside the cold exchange plate 220 is less than or equal to 0°C, it generates a second signal and sends it to the controller. The controller then controls the first interface 230 to introduce de-icing agent, and the second interface 240 to discharge de-icing agent. The introduction of refrigerant for cold storage removes frost from the surface of the cold exchange plate 220, allowing the ice to be demolded. The number of sprayers is matched to the number of cold exchange plates 220, and the water outlet of the sprayers is in contact with the cold exchange plate 220. This improves the efficiency of cold storage; multiple sprayers increase the moisture content on the cold exchange plate 220, thus completing the cold exchange process more quickly.

[0038] In some embodiments, the ice maker 100 is a commercial plate ice maker or a commercial tube ice maker, and the ice storage tank 140 is an insulated container with an opening at the top. A first water pump 150 located at the bottom of the ice storage tank 140 transports cold water from the bottom of the ice storage tank 140 to the top of the ice maker 100. A sprayer sprays water onto the evaporator 110, continuously cooling the circulating water in the ice storage tank 140. When the temperature of the ice storage tank 140 drops to 0°C to 2°C, the evaporator 110... Ice forms on the surface of evaporator 110. When the thickness of the ice reaches 8mm to 15mm, de-icing agent is introduced into the second interface 240. The ice blocks on the surface of evaporator 110 fall onto ice crusher 120. Ice crusher 120 breaks the ice blocks and they enter ice storage tank 140. Since the density of ice is less than that of water, the ice blocks float on the top of ice storage tank 140. Ice maker 100 continuously repeats the ice-making process, and an ice storage layer is formed on the top of ice storage tank 140, thus completing the cold storage process. When the system needs to release cooling, the second water pump 180 at the bottom of the ice storage tank 140 is activated to draw water at 0℃~2℃ from the bottom of the ice storage tank 140. The water is then released to the air conditioning load through the heat exchanger 190. After the low-temperature water is heated by the heat exchanger 190, it flows back to the top of the ice storage tank 140. It can be understood that multiple spray nozzles can be installed at the top of the ice storage tank 140 to connect to the heated water. The heated water is sprayed onto the ice layer at the top of the ice storage tank 140 to achieve cooling. The melted ice water is drawn from the bottom by the second water pump 180 and circulated continuously until the temperature of the ice storage tank 140 rises above 7℃, at which point the cooling is completed.

[0039] A first valve 160 is provided between the first water pump 150 and the sprayer, and a second valve 170 is provided between the first water pump 150 and the ice storage tank 140. The first valve 160 and the second valve 170 are communicatively connected to a controller, which controls the opening and closing of the first valve 160 and the second valve 170. A third valve 200 is provided between the second water pump 180 and the ice storage tank 140, and a fourth valve 210 is provided between the second water pump 180 and the heat exchanger 190. The third valve 200 and the fourth valve 210 are communicatively connected to a controller, which controls the opening and closing of the third valve 200 and the fourth valve 210. Providing multiple valves ensures the normal operation of the pipeline, regulates flow, and prevents backflow. In some embodiments, the ice maker 100 can also use solar power to drive the refrigeration compressor, which is more environmentally friendly. It is understood that the ice maker and the ice storage tank 140 can be provided separately, and the ice produced by the ice maker 100 can be transported into the ice storage tank 140.

[0040] The ice storage tank 140 has a liquid level sensor on its side wall. The liquid level sensor is used to obtain the liquid level height in the ice storage tank 140. The controller is communicatively connected to the water supply device 205 and the liquid level sensor. When it is determined that the liquid level in the ice storage tank 140 has not reached the threshold, the liquid level sensor generates a third signal and sends it to the controller, so that the controller controls the water supply device 205 to supply water according to the third signal. When it is determined that the liquid level in the ice storage tank 140 has reached the threshold, the liquid level sensor generates a fourth signal and sends it to the controller, so that the controller controls the water supply device 205 to stop supplying water according to the fourth signal. Using a liquid level sensor to control the liquid level temperature allows workers to easily adjust the liquid level height in the ice storage tank 140. Workers can set different thresholds according to different cooling capacity requirements, thereby controlling the liquid level height to adapt to different operating conditions.

[0041] A collection plate 250 with a gradually decreasing inner diameter is provided above the ice crusher 120, with the ice crusher 120 connected at its smallest inner diameter. This ensures that ice cubes fall accurately into the ice storage tank 140. A buffer and vibration isolation layer is provided outside the blade holder, with one end abutting against the blade holder and the other end abutting against the ice maker 100. The buffer and vibration isolation layer can reduce noise and vibration during the ice crushing process. In some embodiments, the buffer and vibration isolation layer can be made of rubber pads or spring damping rings. A return port is provided at the top of the ice storage tank 140, with one end of the heat exchanger 190 connected to the second water pump 180 and the other end connected to the return port. This recovers the released cold water, avoiding waste of its cooling capacity and further improving the energy efficiency of the system. The water filling device 205 is also connected to a float valve, which is located inside the ice storage tank 140 and controls the opening and closing of the water filling device 205. It can automatically add water. When the liquid level is lower than the threshold of the float valve, the water adding device 205 will add water to the ice storage tank 140, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the ice storage system.

[0042] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ice storage cooling system, characterized in that, include: An ice maker includes an evaporator and several sprayers. The evaporator is equipped with multiple heat exchange plates. Each heat exchange plate has a hollow structure. The top of the heat exchange plate has a first interface, and the bottom of the heat exchange plate has a second interface. The first interface is connected to the hollow structure, and the second interface is connected to the hollow structure. An ice crusher is disposed below the evaporator. The ice crusher includes a blade holder and a blade assembly, with the blade assembly mounted on the blade holder. An ice storage tank has an ice drop outlet at the top, located below the ice crusher. A first water pump and a second water pump are installed at the bottom of the ice storage tank. The first water pump is connected to the sprayer and delivers water from the ice storage tank to the sprayer. The second water pump delivers water from the ice storage tank to the heat exchanger. A water filling device is also provided on the side wall of the ice storage tank. The number of sprayers matches the number of heat exchange plates, and the water outlet of the sprayers abuts against the heat exchange plates. The controller is communicatively connected to the ice maker, the first water pump, and the second water pump. The controller is used to control the ice maker to enter the ice-making state or stop the ice-making state. The controller is also used to control the first water pump and the second water pump to start working or stop working. A buffer and vibration isolation layer is provided outside the blade holder. One end of the buffer and vibration isolation layer abuts against the blade holder, and the other end abuts against the ice maker. The cooling plate is equipped with a temperature sensor, which is communicatively connected to the controller. The temperature sensor is used to obtain the temperature in the ice storage tank. When the temperature sensor determines that the temperature of the cooling plate is greater than 0°C, it generates a first signal and sends the first signal to the controller, so that the controller controls the second interface to introduce refrigerant according to the first signal, and the first interface to discharge refrigerant. When the temperature sensor determines that the temperature of the cooling plate is less than or equal to 0°C, it generates a second signal and sends the second signal to the controller, so that the controller controls the first interface to pass de-icing agent according to the second signal, and the second interface to flow out de-icing agent; The ice storage tank has a liquid level sensor on its side wall, which is used to obtain the liquid level height in the ice storage tank. The controller is communicatively connected to the water filling device and the liquid level sensor. When it is determined that the liquid level in the ice storage tank has not reached the threshold, the liquid level sensor generates a third signal and sends the third signal to the controller, so that the controller controls the water supply device to add water according to the third signal; When the liquid level in the ice storage tank is determined to have reached a threshold, the liquid level sensor generates a fourth signal and sends the fourth signal to the controller, so that the controller controls the water supply device to stop water supply according to the fourth signal.

2. The ice storage cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A first valve is provided between the first water pump and the sprayer, and a second valve is provided between the first water pump and the ice storage tank. The first valve and the second valve are communicatively connected to the controller, which is used to control the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve. A third valve is provided between the second water pump and the ice storage tank, and a fourth valve is provided between the second water pump and the heat exchanger. The third valve and the fourth valve are communicatively connected to the controller, which is used to control the opening and closing of the third valve and the fourth valve.

3. The ice storage cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Above the ice crusher is a collection plate with a gradually decreasing inner diameter, and the ice crusher is connected at the point where the inner diameter of the collection plate is smallest.

4. The ice storage cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the ice storage tank is provided with a return port, and one end of the heat exchanger is connected to the second water pump, and the other end is connected to the return port.

5. The ice storage cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the blade sets is two, one of which is a moving blade set and the other is a fixed blade set.

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