Ice making control method, apparatus, system, ice making device, and refrigerator appliance

Abstract

The application relates to an ice making control method, device, system, ice making equipment and refrigerator equipment, which comprises the following steps: when an ice making system starts to make ice, an expansion valve is controlled to open at a first opening degree, wherein the first opening degree is the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve; the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature of an evaporator are monitored; when the inlet temperature is less than or equal to a target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to open at a second opening degree, wherein the second opening degree is less than the first opening degree; and the expansion valve is controlled to open at a target opening degree according to the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature until the ice making system completes ice making, wherein the target opening degree is less than the second opening degree. According to the application, the opening degree of the expansion valve is adjusted in real time according to the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature of the evaporator during the working process of the ice making system, so that the ice making efficiency of the ice making system is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ice-making technology, and in particular to an ice-making control method, apparatus, system, ice-making equipment, and refrigerator equipment. Background Technology

[0002] An ice maker is a refrigeration machine that evaporates water into gas through an evaporator, which is then cooled by a refrigeration system to form ice cubes in ice trays. Current ice makers typically control the refrigerant circulation within the machine to maintain system equilibrium during ice production. After ice is formed, the ice is removed solely by heating with an electric heater, and the removal efficiency is controlled by the heater. In summary, current ice makers rely on too few variables in both the ice-making and ice-removal processes, resulting in low energy efficiency during ice removal.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an ice-making control scheme that can shorten the energy efficiency of ice making and de-icing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an ice-making control method, device, system, ice-making equipment, and refrigerator equipment that can shorten the ice-making and ice-removing time of ice-making equipment and improve ice-making efficiency and ice-removing efficiency, in order to address the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides an ice-making control method, comprising:

[0006] When the ice-making system starts making ice, the expansion valve of the ice-making system is controlled to open to the first degree.

[0007] Monitor the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator in the ice-making system;

[0008] When the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to open to a second degree, wherein the second degree of opening is less than the first degree of opening;

[0009] The expansion valve is controlled to open to a target degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature until the ice-making system completes ice making, wherein the target degree is less than the second degree.

[0010] In one embodiment, it includes:

[0011] Determine whether the thickness of the ice layer on the mold of the ice-making system is greater than or equal to a thickness threshold;

[0012] If the ice layer thickness is greater than or equal to the thickness threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to open to a third degree, and the ice-making system is controlled to start de-icing, wherein the third degree is the minimum opening of the expansion valve.

[0013] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0014] When the ice-making system begins to de-ice, the solenoid valve of the ice-making system is opened, so that the hot air generated by the compressor of the ice-making system is directed to the mold until the ice blocks on the mold fall off.

[0015] In one embodiment, controlling the expansion valve to open to a target degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature includes:

[0016] If the inlet temperature is greater than the outlet temperature, the expansion valve is controlled to increase its opening degree while it is already at the second opening degree.

[0017] If the inlet temperature is lower than the outlet temperature, the expansion valve is controlled to reduce its opening degree while it is already at its second opening degree.

[0018] In one embodiment, the target temperature threshold includes multiple thresholds, and controlling the expansion valve to open to a second degree when the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold includes:

[0019] Whenever the inlet temperature drops to the target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to reduce the preset opening at the current opening until the expansion valve opens to the second opening.

[0020] In one embodiment, it further includes:

[0021] When the ice-making system is turned on or off, the expansion valve is controlled to reset to the fourth opening degree.

[0022] Secondly, this application also provides an ice-making control device, comprising:

[0023] The first control module is used to control the expansion valve of the ice-making system to open to a first degree when the ice-making system starts making ice.

[0024] The monitoring module is used to monitor the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator of the ice-making system.

[0025] The second control module is used to control the expansion valve to open to a second degree when the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, wherein the second degree of opening is less than the first degree of opening.

[0026] The third control module is used to control the expansion valve to open to a target degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature until the ice-making system completes ice making, wherein the target degree is less than the second degree.

[0027] Thirdly, this application also provides an ice-making system, including an expansion valve, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a solenoid valve, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the ice-making control method described in the first aspect.

[0028] Fourthly, this application also provides an ice-making apparatus, including the ice-making system described in the third aspect.

[0029] Fifthly, this application also provides a refrigerator device, including the ice-making device described in the fourth aspect.

[0030] In summary, this application proposes an ice-making control method, apparatus, system, ice-making equipment, and refrigerator equipment, comprising: controlling an expansion valve to open to a first degree when the ice-making system starts making ice, wherein the first degree is the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve; monitoring the inlet temperature and outlet temperature of the evaporator; controlling the expansion valve to open to a second degree when the inlet temperature is less than or equal to a target temperature threshold, wherein the second degree is less than the first degree; controlling the expansion valve to open to a target degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature, until the ice-making system completes ice making, wherein the target degree is less than the second degree. This application effectively improves the ice-making efficiency of the ice-making system by adjusting the opening degree of the expansion valve in real time according to the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator during the operation of the ice-making system. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the application environment of an ice-making control method in one embodiment.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an ice-making control method in one embodiment;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the ice-making control method in another embodiment;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of controlling the target opening degree of the expansion valve in one embodiment.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a structural block diagram of an ice-making control device in one embodiment.

[0036] Summary of attached image labels:

[0037] Compressor-110; Condenser-120; Expansion valve-130; Evaporator-140; Solenoid valve-150. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0039] The ice maker control method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to, for example, Figure 1 The ice-making system shown includes a compressor 110, a condenser 120, an expansion valve 130, an evaporator 140, and a solenoid valve 150.

[0040] In a specific embodiment, the refrigerant circulates within the ice-making system. After the compressor 110 draws in the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator 140, it compresses the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant.

[0041] During ice making in the ice-making system, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant compressed by compressor 110 passes through condenser 120 and expansion valve 130 before entering evaporator 140 for evaporation. Condenser 120 removes excess heat from the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, cooling it into a room-temperature, room-pressure liquid refrigerant. Expansion valve 130 throttles the room-temperature, room-pressure liquid refrigerant through a throttling orifice, resulting in a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant obtained by expansion valve 130 is then fed into evaporator 140, where it rapidly evaporates, absorbing heat to form vaporized refrigerant, which continues to circulate within the ice-making system.

[0042] In practical implementation, the evaporator 140 rapidly reduces the temperature of its inner wall when absorbing heat, causing the water flowing through the inner wall to cool down and freeze quickly. It should be noted that the inner wall of the evaporator 140 is the ice-making mold of the ice-making system; for example, it can be an ice tray.

[0043] During the de-icing process of the ice-making system, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor 110 enters the evaporator 140 via the solenoid valve 150. After the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant reaches the evaporator 140 via the solenoid valve 150, it rapidly heats up the inner wall of the evaporator 140, causing the ice that has already condensed on the inner wall of the evaporator 140 to melt and fall off quickly.

[0044] During the ice-making and de-icing processes of the ice-making system, the flow rate of refrigerant flowing in the ice-making system pipeline and the refrigerant pressure in the ice-making system can be changed by controlling the opening and closing of the electronic expansion valve 130.

[0045] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 1The structure shown is merely a block diagram of a portion of the structure related to the present application and does not constitute a limitation on the ice-making system to which the present application is applied. A specific ice-making system may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0046] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, an ice-making control method is provided, which is applied to... Figure 1 Taking the ice-making system in the example, the following steps are included:

[0047] S201, when the ice-making system starts making ice, control the expansion valve of the ice-making system to open to the first degree.

[0048] Specifically, the first opening degree is the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve when the ice-making system is making ice. It should be noted that the expansion valve of each ice-making system can have a different first opening degree, and the first opening degree can also be configured as the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve. This embodiment does not limit the specific value of the first opening degree, which can be determined according to the needs of the actual application scenario.

[0049] In the specific process, when controlling the expansion valve of the ice-making system to open to a certain angle, the expansion valve can be reset first, that is, the expansion valve is fully closed before opening to the specified angle, so as to ensure the accuracy of the expansion valve opening to the specified angle.

[0050] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the ice-making system starts making ice at the stage after each ice-making function is activated, and the relevant ice-making operations are executed.

[0051] This embodiment controls the expansion valve to open at its maximum possible angle when the ice-making system starts making ice, which allows the evaporator inlet temperature to drop rapidly to a specified temperature, thereby accelerating the ice-making process. Simultaneously, because the ice-making control method provided in this embodiment can adjust the opening angle of the expansion valve in real time according to the evaporator inlet and outlet temperatures, it effectively avoids damage to the evaporator caused by excessive condensation due to the expansion valve remaining open at its maximum angle for an extended period.

[0052] S202, monitors the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator in the ice-making system.

[0053] Specifically, temperature acquisition devices can be installed at both the inlet and outlet ends of the evaporator to collect the inlet and outlet temperatures in real time. This embodiment does not limit the specific type of temperature acquisition device; it can be configured according to the needs of the actual application scenario.

[0054] It should be noted that the temperature acquisition device in this embodiment must simultaneously meet the requirements of acquiring temperature in both high-temperature and low-temperature environments.

[0055] This embodiment improves the energy efficiency of the ice-making system during ice making and de-icing by real-time monitoring of the evaporator's inlet and outlet temperatures and adjusting the opening angle of the expansion valve accordingly.

[0056] S203, when the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to open to a second degree, wherein the second degree is less than the first degree.

[0057] Specifically, whenever the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the set target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to reduce its opening angle, that is, the expansion valve is controlled to open to a second degree.

[0058] If the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, it means that the condensation standard for the inner wall of the evaporator has been met, and the water flowing on the inner wall of the evaporator begins to condense into ice, that is, the water on the mold on the inner wall of the evaporator begins to condense into ice.

[0059] It should be noted that when the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, the ice-making system has already entered the ice-making equilibrium stage. There is no need to quickly adjust the inlet temperature of the evaporator; only a fine-tuning of the inlet temperature of the evaporator is required.

[0060] The specific value of the target temperature threshold in this embodiment can be determined based on the type of evaporator and the structure of the inner wall of the evaporator in the actual application scenario. This embodiment does not limit the specific value of the target temperature threshold.

[0061] This embodiment controls the expansion valve to open to a second degree when the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, which can effectively accelerate the balance between the evaporator inlet temperature and outlet temperature and ensure the evaporator's ice-making efficiency.

[0062] S204 controls the expansion valve to open to a target degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures until the ice-making system completes ice making, wherein the target degree is less than the second degree.

[0063] In a specific embodiment, when both the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature are at the same low temperature, it indicates that the ice-making system has reached a balance and can generate ice blocks with maximum ice production efficiency.

[0064] Meanwhile, in specific embodiments, since the ice-making system usually uses an external water source to conduct immersion heat exchange with the ice blocks condensed inside the evaporator during actual application, there will always be a certain difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature in the evaporator. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously fine-tune the opening angle of the expansion valve to keep the ice-making system in a balanced state.

[0065] It should be noted that during the heat exchange process between the external water source and the ice blocks condensed inside the evaporator, the solid ice blocks will also lower the temperature of the external water, preventing the temperature of the ice-making chamber from rising again. In this embodiment, by controlling the opening degree of the expansion valve, the ambient temperature inside the ice-making chamber can be effectively maintained, the freezing time of liquid water can be shortened, and the ice-making efficiency can be improved.

[0066] In summary, this embodiment provides an ice-making control method that can monitor the temperature values ​​at the inlet and outlet of the evaporator in the ice-making system at any time during the ice-making process. Based on the evaporator inlet and outlet temperatures, the current ice-making stage of the system is determined. After identifying the ice-making stage, the opening angle of the expansion valve is controlled in three stages. In the initial ice-making stage, the expansion valve is opened to the first degree, thereby accelerating evaporator cooling and ensuring the mold on the evaporator inner wall meets the condensation conditions, thus initiating ice making. Once the evaporator inlet temperature drops to the target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is opened to the second degree, effectively accelerating the ice-making system into the equilibrium stage, thus improving the ice-making efficiency and preventing excessive cooling of the evaporator temperature. In the equilibrium stage, the opening angle of the expansion valve is fine-tuned based on the evaporator inlet and outlet temperatures, thereby effectively accelerating the system's equilibrium and enabling faster ice production.

[0067] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the ice-making control method also includes:

[0068] S301, determine whether the thickness of the ice layer on the mold of the ice-making system is greater than or equal to the thickness threshold.

[0069] S302, if the ice thickness is greater than or equal to the thickness threshold, control the expansion valve to open to the third degree and control the ice-making system to start de-icing. The third degree is the minimum opening degree of the expansion valve.

[0070] Specifically, the third opening degree is the minimum opening degree that the expansion valve can open during the ice-making and de-icing stages of the ice-making system. It should be noted that the specific value of the third opening degree needs to be adaptively configured according to the needs of the actual application scenario; this embodiment does not limit the specific value of the third opening degree. The specific value of the third opening degree is less than the specific value of the second opening degree.

[0071] In a specific embodiment, an ice thickness detection device installed on the inner wall of the evaporator monitors the ice layer thickness on the ice-making system mold in real time. When the ice layer thickness is greater than or equal to a pre-set thickness threshold, the ice-making system can be controlled to perform a de-icing step, allowing the ice to fall into the ice-making container through a heating-assisted step and gravity. It should be noted that the ice thickness detection device can be selected appropriately based on the specific application scenario. The ice layer thickness threshold can also be adaptively configured according to actual application needs; the thickness threshold can be modified through terminal interaction. The ice-making container can be an ice box or other container for holding ice.

[0072] In practical applications, the temperature of the evaporator's inner wall increases during the ice-removal process of the ice-making system. This keeps the opening angle of the expansion valve at the third degree, minimizing the amount of refrigerant entering the evaporator and affecting the ice-removal efficiency of the evaporator's inner wall.

[0073] In this embodiment, by monitoring the ice layer thickness on the ice block in the ice-making system mold in real time, the uniformity of the ice blocks produced can be effectively ensured, improving ice-making efficiency while guaranteeing ice quality. Furthermore, in this embodiment, during the de-icing step, the expansion valve is kept open at its minimum degree of openness, which effectively improves the de-icing efficiency of the ice-making system.

[0074] In one embodiment, the ice-making control method further includes:

[0075] When the ice-making system begins to de-ice, the solenoid valve controlling the ice-making system opens, directing the hot air generated by the ice-making system's compressor to the mold until the ice blocks on the mold fall off.

[0076] Specifically, when the ice-making system performs its ice-making function, the solenoid valve is always kept closed, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure gas generated by the compressor is condensed by the condenser and the refrigerant is delivered to the evaporator to condense and freeze the water in the ice-making system mold.

[0077] When the ice-making system begins to de-ice, the opening angle of the expansion valve is controlled to the minimum opening, and the solenoid valve is controlled to switch from the closed state to the open state. This allows high-temperature and high-pressure gas to enter the evaporator through the solenoid valve, causing the temperature of the inner wall of the evaporator to rise rapidly. Combined with the heat exchange from the external water source of the ice-making system, the ice blocks attached to the inner wall of the evaporator can be melted quickly and fall off into the ice-making container by gravity.

[0078] In this embodiment, during the ice-removal process of the ice-making system, multiple combined control methods are used to increase the temperature of the evaporator's inner wall while reducing the input of refrigerant, ensuring a rapid increase in the evaporator's inner wall temperature and effectively increasing the ice-removal efficiency of the ice-making system. Furthermore, because the refrigerant continuously exchanges heat with the external water source, this embodiment effectively maintains a stable temperature inside the ice-making chamber, preventing abnormal temperature increases and thus effectively reducing the energy consumption of the ice-making equipment.

[0079] In one embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, S204 also includes:

[0080] S401, if the inlet temperature is greater than the outlet temperature, control the expansion valve to increase the opening degree of the expansion valve while it is already at the second opening degree.

[0081] S402, if the inlet temperature is lower than the outlet temperature, control the expansion valve to reduce the opening degree of the expansion valve while it is open to the second degree.

[0082] In a specific embodiment, the increase or decrease in the opening degree of the expansion valve can be determined based on the absolute value of the difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature. The larger the absolute value, the larger the increase or decrease in the opening degree of the expansion valve. The smaller the absolute value, the smaller the increase or decrease in the opening degree of the expansion valve.

[0083] It should be noted that in this embodiment, when controlling the expansion valve to open to the target degree, adjusting the opening degree of the expansion valve is a fine-tuning operation. At this time, the increase or decrease in opening degree is within the preset opening degree threshold range. This embodiment does not limit the preset opening degree threshold range, which can be determined according to the actual application scenario. For example, the preset opening degree threshold range can be 1° to 2°.

[0084] In one embodiment, the target temperature threshold includes multiple temperature thresholds, S203, including:

[0085] Whenever the inlet temperature drops to the target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to reduce the preset opening at the current opening until the expansion valve opens to the second opening.

[0086] Specifically, during the process of the expansion valve reducing from the first opening degree to the second opening degree, multiple target temperature thresholds can be set. Each time a target temperature threshold is reached, the opening degree of the expansion valve will decrease by the preset opening degree, thereby realizing the phased adjustment of the expansion valve.

[0087] It should be noted that by setting multiple temperature thresholds, this embodiment can further improve the ice-making efficiency and ice-making quality of the ice-making system without causing a sudden change in the temperature of the evaporator inner wall, thereby preventing damage to the equipment.

[0088] In a specific embodiment, the adjustment speed at which the expansion valve decreases from the first opening to the second opening is slower than the adjustment speed at which the expansion valve decreases from the second opening to the target opening. Both the adjustment speeds from the first opening to the second opening and from the second opening to the target opening can be adaptively configured according to the needs of the actual application scenario.

[0089] The expansion valve adjusts from the second opening to the target opening faster, which can further accelerate the balancing speed of the ice-making system.

[0090] In one embodiment, the ice-making control method further includes:

[0091] When the ice-making system is turned on or off, the control expansion valve is reset to the fourth opening degree.

[0092] Specifically, the fourth opening degree is 0°. The fourth opening degree can also be configured to a suitable degree according to the needs of the actual application scenario. For most ice-making systems, the reset degree of the expansion valve can be configured to 0°.

[0093] In a specific embodiment, when the ice-making system is turned on or off, the expansion valve is controlled to reset to the fourth opening degree, which can ensure the accuracy of controlling the opening angle of the expansion valve during the ice-making process or the de-icing process.

[0094] In summary, this embodiment provides an ice-making control method that can effectively shorten the ice-making cycle, increase the ice production capacity, reduce temperature fluctuations within the ice-making chamber, and optimize the ice storage environment. Using the ice-making control device provided in this application, in the de-icing process, in addition to heating with a de-icing heating device, the sensible heat of an external water source can be used to assist de-icing. The external water and ice blocks undergo immersion heat exchange, accelerating the detachment of ice blocks from the ice tray. Simultaneously, the coldness of the solid ice also lowers the temperature of the external water, preventing the temperature of the injected water from being too high in the next ice-making cycle and thus exacerbating the temperature rise in the ice-making chamber. This embodiment reduces temperature fluctuations during the de-icing process by controlling the opening angle of the expansion valve, optimizing the ice storage environment of the ice-making chamber. Furthermore, the entire ice-making process can effectively shorten the freezing time of liquid water, improving ice-making efficiency.

[0095] In a more detailed embodiment, the specific execution process of the ice-making control method provided in this embodiment is as follows:

[0096] 1. When the ice-making system is powered on and started, the expansion valve of the ice-making system is reset, so that the opening angle of the expansion valve is P = 0°. When the ice-making function of the ice-making system is started, the opening angle of the expansion valve is controlled to P = P0, where P0 is the first opening degree. At this time, it is continuously judged whether the pre-cooling step of the ice-making system is completed. If the opening temperature and outlet temperature of the evaporator reach equilibrium, it can be determined that the pre-cooling step of the ice-making system is completed. After the pre-cooling step of the ice-making system is completed, it is continuously monitored whether there are ice blocks in the ice-making system mold. When the thickness of the ice blocks in the mold reaches the preset thickness threshold standard, the ice-making system is controlled to start de-icing. If the thickness of the ice blocks in the mold does not reach the preset thickness threshold standard, the ice-making process continues.

[0097] 2. During the pre-cooling step of the ice-making system, two conditions are checked in real time. The first condition is whether the evaporator inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold. If the evaporator inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, it means that the evaporator inlet temperature has reached the cooling standard, and the opening angle of the expansion valve can be reduced to P = P1, where P1 is the second opening degree. The second condition is whether the difference between the evaporator inlet temperature and the outlet temperature is 0. When the inlet and outlet temperatures are not 0, the opening angle of the expansion valve is adjusted according to the difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures until the opening angle of the expansion valve is adjusted to the target opening degree P = P2, where P2 is the target opening degree.

[0098] 3. When the ice-making system begins to defrost, adjust the opening angle of the expansion valve to the third opening degree P = P3, where P3 is the third opening degree, which is the minimum opening degree Pmin of the expansion valve. When the expansion valve is open to the third opening degree, as little refrigerant as possible enters the evaporator. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas generated by the compressor enters the evaporator through the solenoid valve, causing the temperature of the evaporator's inner wall to rise rapidly until the ice in contact with the evaporator's inner wall melts and falls off. After detecting that the ice has melted and fallen off, readjust the opening angle of the expansion valve to the first opening degree to begin a new round of ice-making.

[0099] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the above embodiments are shown sequentially according to the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowcharts of the above embodiments may include multiple steps or multiple stages. These steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages of other steps.

[0100] Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides an ice-making control device for implementing the ice-making control method described above. The solution provided by this device is similar to the solution described in the above method; therefore, the specific limitations in one or more ice-making control device embodiments provided below can be found in the limitations of the ice-making control method described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0101] In one embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, an ice-making control device 500 is provided, including: a first control module 510, a monitoring module 520, a second control module 530, and a third control module 540, wherein:

[0102] The first control module 510 is used to control the expansion valve of the ice-making system to open to a first degree when the ice-making system starts making ice, wherein the first degree is the maximum opening degree of the expansion valve.

[0103] Monitoring module 520 is used to monitor the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator in the ice-making system;

[0104] The second control module 530 is used to control the expansion valve to open to a second degree when the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, wherein the second degree is less than the first degree.

[0105] The third control module 540 is used to control the expansion valve to open to a target degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature until the ice-making system completes ice making, wherein the target degree is less than the second degree.

[0106] In one embodiment, the ice-making control device 500 further includes:

[0107] The de-icing control module is used to determine whether the ice layer thickness on the mold of the ice-making system is greater than or equal to the thickness threshold. If the ice layer thickness is greater than or equal to the thickness threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to open to the third degree, and the ice-making system is controlled to start de-icing. The third degree is the minimum opening degree of the expansion valve.

[0108] In one embodiment, the de-icing control module is specifically used to control the opening of the solenoid valve of the ice-making system when the ice-making system begins to de-ic, so that the hot gas generated by the compressor of the ice-making system is directed to the mold until the ice blocks on the mold fall off.

[0109] In one embodiment, the third control module 540 is specifically used to control the expansion valve to increase its opening degree when the inlet temperature is greater than the outlet temperature, while the expansion valve is already at the second opening degree; and to control the expansion valve to decrease its opening degree when the inlet temperature is less than the outlet temperature, while the expansion valve is already at the second opening degree.

[0110] In one embodiment, the second control module 530 is specifically used to control the expansion valve to reduce the preset opening degree at the current opening degree whenever the inlet temperature drops to the target temperature threshold, until the expansion valve opens to the second opening degree.

[0111] In one embodiment, the ice-making control device 500 further includes:

[0112] The reset module is used to control the expansion valve to reset to the fourth opening degree when the ice-making system is turned on or off.

[0113] In summary, this application provides an ice-making control device that can effectively shorten the ice-making cycle, increase the ice production capacity, reduce temperature fluctuations within the ice-making chamber, and optimize the ice storage environment. Using the ice-making control device provided in this application, in the de-icing process, in addition to heating with a de-icing heating device, the sensible heat of an external water source can be used to assist in de-icing. The external water and ice blocks undergo immersion heat exchange, accelerating the detachment of ice blocks from the ice tray. Simultaneously, the coldness of the solid ice also lowers the temperature of the external water, preventing the temperature of the injected water from being too high in the next ice-making cycle and thus exacerbating the temperature rise in the ice-making chamber. This embodiment reduces temperature fluctuations during the de-icing process by controlling the opening angle of the expansion valve, optimizing the ice storage environment of the ice-making chamber. Furthermore, the entire ice-making process can effectively shorten the freezing time of liquid water, improving ice-making efficiency.

[0114] Each module in the aforementioned ice-making control device can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, or a combination thereof. These modules can be embedded in the processor of a computer device in hardware form or independent of it, or stored in the memory of a computer device in software form, so that the processor can call and execute the operations corresponding to each module.

[0115] In one embodiment, an ice-making system is provided, including an expansion valve, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a solenoid valve, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to perform the following steps:

[0116] When the ice-making system starts making ice, the expansion valve of the ice-making system is controlled to open to the first degree.

[0117] Monitor the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator in the ice-making system;

[0118] When the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to open to a second degree, wherein the second degree of opening is less than the first degree of opening;

[0119] The expansion valve is controlled to open to a target degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature until the ice-making system completes ice making, wherein the target degree is less than the second degree.

[0120] In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program performing the following steps when executed by a processor:

[0121] When the ice-making system starts making ice, the expansion valve of the ice-making system is controlled to open to the first degree.

[0122] Monitor the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator in the ice-making system;

[0123] When the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to open to a second degree, wherein the second degree of opening is less than the first degree of opening;

[0124] The expansion valve is controlled to open to a target degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature until the ice-making system completes ice making, wherein the target degree is less than the second degree.

[0125] In one embodiment, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, performs the following steps:

[0126] When the ice-making system starts making ice, the expansion valve of the ice-making system is controlled to open to the first degree.

[0127] Monitor the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator in the ice-making system;

[0128] When the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to open to a second degree, wherein the second degree of opening is less than the first degree of opening;

[0129] The expansion valve is controlled to open to a target degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature until the ice-making system completes ice making, wherein the target degree is less than the second degree.

[0130] In one embodiment, an ice-making device is also provided, including the ice-making system in the aforementioned system embodiments.

[0131] In one embodiment, a refrigerator device is also provided, including the ice-making device in the foregoing device embodiments.

[0132] It should be noted that this embodiment does not limit the specific structure of the ice-making equipment and the refrigerator equipment. The specific implementation process of the ice-making equipment and the refrigerator equipment during ice making can be referred to the ice-making process in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0133] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above methods. Any references to memory, databases, or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application can include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM can take many forms, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) or Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). The databases involved in the embodiments provided in this application may include at least one type of relational database and non-relational database. Non-relational databases may include, but are not limited to, blockchain-based distributed databases. The processors involved in the embodiments provided in this application may be general-purpose processors, central processing units, graphics processing units, digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, quantum computing-based data processing logic devices, etc., and are not limited to these.

[0134] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0135] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An ice-making control method, characterized in that, include: When the ice-making system starts making ice, the expansion valve of the ice-making system is controlled to open to the first degree. Monitor the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator in the ice-making system; When the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to open to a second degree, wherein the second degree of opening is less than the first degree of opening; The expansion valve is controlled to open to a target degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature until the ice-making system completes ice making, wherein the target degree is less than the second degree; the adjustment speed of controlling the expansion valve to decrease from the first degree to the second degree is slower than the adjustment speed of controlling the expansion valve to decrease from the second degree to the target degree.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: Determine whether the thickness of the ice layer on the mold of the ice-making system is greater than or equal to a thickness threshold; If the ice layer thickness is greater than or equal to the thickness threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to open to a third degree, and the ice-making system is controlled to start de-icing, wherein the third degree is the minimum opening of the expansion valve.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: When the ice-making system begins to de-ice, the solenoid valve of the ice-making system is opened, so that the hot air generated by the compressor of the ice-making system is directed to the mold until the ice blocks on the mold fall off.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the expansion valve to a target opening degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature includes: If the inlet temperature is greater than the outlet temperature, the expansion valve is controlled to increase its opening degree while it is already at the second opening degree. If the inlet temperature is lower than the outlet temperature, the expansion valve is controlled to reduce its opening degree while it is already at its second opening degree.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target temperature threshold includes multiple thresholds. The step of controlling the expansion valve to open to a second degree when the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold includes: Whenever the inlet temperature drops to the target temperature threshold, the expansion valve is controlled to reduce the preset opening at the current opening until the expansion valve opens to the second opening.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Also includes: When the ice-making system is turned on or off, the expansion valve is controlled to reset to the fourth opening degree.

7. An ice-making control device, characterized in that, include: The first control module is used to control the expansion valve of the ice-making system to open to a first degree when the ice-making system starts making ice. The monitoring module is used to monitor the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator of the ice-making system. The second control module is used to control the expansion valve to open to a second degree when the inlet temperature is less than or equal to the target temperature threshold, wherein the second degree of opening is less than the first degree of opening. The third control module is used to control the expansion valve to open to a target opening degree based on the temperature difference between the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature until the ice-making system completes ice making, wherein the target opening degree is less than the second opening degree; the adjustment speed of controlling the expansion valve to decrease from the first opening degree to the second opening degree is slower than the adjustment speed of controlling the expansion valve to decrease from the second opening degree to the target opening degree.

8. An ice-making system, characterized in that, The device includes an expansion valve, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a solenoid valve, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the ice-making control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. An ice-making device, characterized in that, Includes the ice-making system as described in claim 8.

10. A refrigerator device, characterized in that, Includes the ice-making device as described in claim 9.

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