Ice crystal eliminating structure, temperature control system and ice making system

Abstract

The invention relates to an ice crystal eliminating structure, a temperature control system and an ice making system. The ice crystal eliminating structure comprises a heat pipe heat exchanger and a lower box body. The heat pipe heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat pipes filled with liquid heat transfer media, and each heat pipe is provided with an evaporation part, a condensation part and a heat insulation part. The heat pipe heat exchanger is configured to transmit heat absorbed by the evaporation part of each heat pipe from a heat source containing a high-temperature gaseous refrigerant to the condensation part through the heat insulation part, and then the heat is transmitted to ice water containing ice crystals through the condensation part so as to melt the ice crystals. The evaporation part is packaged in the lower box body and inserted in the lower sleeve, so that a storage chamber used for storing a high-temperature liquid refrigerant is formed between the evaporation part and the lower sleeve. A bottom opening is formed in the bottom of the lower sleeve. And a movable bottom plate capable of closing the bottom opening is arranged at the bottom of the lower box body. The movable bottom plate is configured to be capable of moving up and down so as to change the liquid level height in the storage chamber by closing and opening the bottom opening. The present disclosure obtains replenished water whose temperature is expected to be controlled with a simple structural arrangement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of heat exchangers, and in particular to an ice crystal elimination structure, a temperature control system and an ice making system. Background Art

[0002] Ice slurry, also known as fluidized ice or pumpable ice, is a frozen water mixture in a flowing state. As a phase-change refrigerant, it has both the fluidity of water and the latent heat of ice. Ice slurry is widely used in food preservation, food processing, and ice storage. Ice slurry is usually made by supercooled water dynamic ice making, cutting, falling film, and spraying methods. Among them, supercooled water dynamic ice making is the most widely used and energy-efficient method for making ice slurry. The principle is that when water solidifies, it needs to form ice nuclei in liquid water. The ice nuclei absorb latent heat and grow and freeze. A certain degree of supercooling is required to form ice nuclei. Therefore, water can exist in liquid form below zero degrees at normal pressure, that is, supercooled water. Supercooled water is transported to an ice storage tank, and its solidification temperature is raised by collision, ultrasonic excitation, and other means to produce ice slurry. Since the latent heat required for solidification is much greater than the sensible heat of supercooled water, only part of the water will solidify into ice, and most of the water will remain in liquid form and rise to zero degrees. This part of water plus make-up water will be sent to the inlet of the heat exchanger to continue to be cooled into supercooled water.

[0003] In the ice-making system, ice crystals still exist in the cold water returning to the water inlet of the heat exchanger, which is very easy to freeze again and cause frozen pipes. To prevent frozen pipes, it is necessary to remove the ice crystals in the cold water returning to the water inlet of the heat exchanger. The commonly used method for removing ice crystals is to use a large sedimentation heat exchanger with multi-layer filters, which requires the introduction of an external heat source because the filter always has pores and cannot completely remove the ice crystals in the water. In addition, the ice crystal removal structure of the heat pipe heat exchanger cannot maximize the use of the sedimentation space of the water tank due to the left and right water inlet, and the single immersion heat exchange design may make it impossible to completely eliminate the ice crystals. In this way, ice crystals still exist in the cold water returning to the water inlet of the heat exchanger, which is prone to frozen pipes.

[0004] At the same time, in the process of removing ice crystals from cold water, it is generally required to remove ice crystals while keeping the temperature of cold water rising very little (usually 0.5-1°C). This requires that the structure for removing ice crystals requires not only an enhanced heat exchange structure with excellent performance, but also a more precise control system.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, it is desired to improve the ice making system in the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present disclosure provides an ice crystal elimination structure and a temperature control system, and an ice making system including the ice crystal elimination structure and / or the temperature control system.

[0007] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an ice crystal elimination structure. The ice crystal elimination structure includes a heat pipe heat exchanger and a lower box. The heat pipe heat exchanger includes a plurality of closed heat pipes filled with a liquid heat transfer medium, each heat pipe having an evaporation portion, a condensation portion, and an insulation portion located between the evaporation portion and the condensation portion. The heat pipe heat exchanger is configured to transfer the heat absorbed by the evaporation portion of each heat pipe from a heat source containing a high-temperature gaseous refrigerant to the condensation portion via the insulation portion, and then the condensation portion transfers the heat to ice water containing ice crystals to melt the ice crystals. The evaporation portions of the plurality of heat pipes are encapsulated in the lower box. The evaporation portion of each heat pipe is inserted into a lower sleeve accommodated in the lower box to form a storage chamber for storing high-temperature liquid refrigerant between the evaporation portion and the lower sleeve. A bottom opening is provided at the bottom of each lower sleeve. The lower box body is provided with a movable bottom plate at the bottom which can close the bottom opening. The movable bottom plate is configured to be able to move up and down to change the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber by closing and opening the bottom opening.

[0008] Therefore, the ice crystal removal structure disclosed in the present invention obtains heat by heat exchange with a heat source containing high-temperature gaseous refrigerant and transfers heat through a heat pipe heat exchanger to melt ice crystals in the ice water flowing through the ice crystal removal structure, and utilizes a movable bottom plate to change the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber to obtain water replenishment with the desired temperature controlled.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the upper surface of the movable bottom plate is provided with a plurality of protrusions for cooperating and sealing with corresponding bottom openings.

[0010] Thus, the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber is changed by changing the matching sealing condition of the bottom opening and the protrusion.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the protrusion is cylindrical.

[0012] Thus, the cylindrical protrusion provides a close fitting seal with the bottom opening.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the lower sleeve has a diameter and a height, and the maximum heat transfer amount transferred from the heat source to the ice water containing ice crystals via the heat pipe heat exchanger is determined based on the diameter of the heat pipe, the diameter of the lower sleeve, and the height of the lower sleeve.

[0014] Thus, the diameter of the heat pipe, the diameter of the lower sleeve and the height of the lower sleeve define the maximum heat transfer amount transferred from the heat source to the ice water containing ice crystals via the heat pipe heat exchanger.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, there is a gap between the movable bottom plate and the lower case.

[0016] Thus, the setting of the gap allows high-temperature gaseous refrigerant and high-temperature liquid refrigerant to freely enter and exit the lower box.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the movable base plate is configured to be periodically driven by a transmission mechanism to move up and down.

[0018] Thus, the temperature of the replenishing water can be periodically controlled within a desired temperature range.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the ice crystal removal structure also includes an upper box body, and the condensation parts of the multiple heat pipes are encapsulated in the upper box body. The condensation part of each heat pipe is inserted into an upper sleeve accommodated in the upper box body, thereby forming an ice water flow channel between the condensation part and the upper sleeve.

[0020] Therefore, the ice-water flow channel allows the ice water to be in closer contact with the condensation part of each heat pipe for efficient heat exchange. Moreover, the setting of the ice-water flow channel extends the flow path of the ice water in the upper box body, thereby increasing the retention heat exchange time of the ice water in the upper box body, thereby improving the melting efficiency of ice crystals.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the inner surface of the upper sleeve is provided with a plurality of inner fins extending inward from the outer wall of the upper sleeve base tube, and the outer surface of the condensation portion of the heat pipe is provided with a plurality of outer fins extending outward from the outer wall of the condensation portion base tube.

[0022] Thus, a winding and extended ice-water flow channel is formed between the multiple inner wings and the multiple outer wings, thereby increasing the retention and heat exchange time of the ice-water in the ice-water flow channel, which helps to improve the melting efficiency of ice crystals.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the outer wing has an outer wing extension section of the heat pipe condensation part and an outer wing folded edge section of the heat pipe condensation part, and the inner wing has an upper sleeve inner wing extension section and an upper sleeve inner wing folded edge section.

[0024] Thus, the inner fins and outer fins constructed in this way form a winding and elongated ice-water flow channel therebetween.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, the plurality of inner fins and the plurality of outer fins are sized to generate vortices within the ice water flow channel.

[0026] In one or more embodiments, the length of the folded edge section of the outer fin of the heat pipe condensation part is between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm.

[0027] Therefore, the arrangement of the folded edge section of the outer fin of the heat pipe condensation part facilitates the generation of the desired vortex.

[0028] In one or more embodiments, the multiple inner wings and the multiple outer wings have the following size settings: L2 is 0.2L1-0.5L1; L3 and L4 are both 0.08L1-0.12L1; L5 is 0.4L1-0.7L1; L6 is 0.2L1-0.4L1; L7 is 1.5L1-2.2L1; L8 is 1.5L1-2.5L1, wherein L1 is the length of the folded edge section of the outer wing of the heat pipe condensation part; L2 is the extension of the outer wing of the heat pipe condensation part The distance between the outlet section and the upper sleeve inner wing extension section; L3 is the gap between the outer wall of the base tube of the heat pipe condensation section and the upper sleeve inner wing extension section; L4 is the gap between the outer wall of the base tube of the heat pipe condensation section and the upper sleeve inner wing folded section; L5 is the gap between the upper sleeve inner wing folded section and the inner wall of the upper sleeve base tube; L6 is the gap between the outer wing folded section of the heat pipe condensation section and the upper sleeve inner wing folded section; L7 is the gap between the outer wing folded section of the heat pipe condensation section and the inner wall of the upper sleeve base tube; L8 is the distance between two adjacent upper sleeve inner wing extension sections.

[0029] Therefore, the size design of the above parameters is conducive to increasing the retention and heat exchange time of ice water in the ice water flow channel and promoting the gradient separation of ice crystals, thereby improving the ablation efficiency of ice crystals.

[0030] In one or more embodiments, the multiple heat pipes are arranged in multiple rows and columns to form a rectangular structure, the upper box has a first inlet port located on the upstream side and a second outlet port located on the downstream side in the upper part, the first rectangular tube is inserted into the first inlet port to supply ice water containing ice crystals, and the second rectangular tube is connected to the second outlet port to output water obtained by melting ice.

[0031] Therefore, the rectangular structure of the first rectangular tube and the second rectangular tube is suitable for matching with the condensing section of the heat pipe heat exchanger in a rectangular parallelepiped structure, so as to efficiently transmit more ice water and make-up water.

[0032] In one or more embodiments, a plurality of holes are provided on the lower surface of the first rectangular tube, and the first rectangular tube is arranged to extend into the upper box through the first inlet port so that the plurality of holes are aligned with the upper open ports of the plurality of upper sleeves, thereby allowing ice water containing ice crystals to flow into the ice water flow channel.

[0033] Thus, multiple streams of ice water can contact the condensation part of each heat pipe without interfering with each other and at a closer distance to perform efficient heat exchange, thereby improving the melting efficiency of ice crystals.

[0034] In one or more embodiments, the upper surface of the second rectangular tube is arranged to be flush with the lower surface of the first rectangular tube.

[0035] As a result, the ice water in the ice water flow channel can slowly accumulate in the upper box body to increase the residence time of the ice water, which is conducive to the remaining ice crystals in the ice water settling at the bottom of the upper box body and eventually melting, further improving the ice melting efficiency.

[0036] In one or more embodiments, the ice crystal elimination structure is arranged in a water supply bypass connecting a water tank of the ice making system and a falling film evaporator. The lower box is arranged in the shell side of a shell and tube condenser of the ice making system. A part of the high temperature gaseous refrigerant in the shell side of the shell and tube condenser is used as the heat source.

[0037] Therefore, the ice crystal elimination structure obtains heat by exchanging heat with a part of the gaseous high-temperature refrigerant on the shell side of the shell and tube condenser and transfers heat through the heat pipe heat exchanger to melt the ice crystals in the ice water flowing through the ice crystal elimination structure, thereby preventing the occurrence of frozen pipes without introducing an external heat source.

[0038] On the other hand, the present disclosure provides a temperature control system. The temperature control system includes a temperature control component and an ice crystal elimination structure according to the present disclosure. The temperature control component and the ice crystal elimination structure are arranged in a water supply bypass connecting a water tank of an ice making system and a falling film evaporator, and the temperature control component is located downstream relative to the ice crystal elimination structure. The temperature control component includes a controller and a transmission mechanism connected to the controller. The controller controls the transmission mechanism to drive the movable bottom plate to move up and down, so as to control the temperature of the supply water flowing out of the ice crystal elimination structure within a desired temperature range.

[0039] Thus, the temperature control system provides precise control over the temperature of the makeup water flowing out of the ice crystal removal structure.

[0040] In one or more embodiments, the temperature control assembly includes a temperature probe. The controller is connected to the ice crystal elimination structure through a second rectangular tube. One end of the temperature probe is connected to the controller and the other end is inserted into the second rectangular tube to detect the temperature of the replenished water. The controller controls the transmission mechanism to drive the movable bottom plate to move up and down based on the temperature detected by the temperature probe.

[0041] Thus, the temperature control component can detect the replenishing water temperature in real time.

[0042] In one or more embodiments, the movable bottom plate is configured as follows: when the temperature detected by the temperature probe is lower than the lower temperature limit, it is driven by the transmission mechanism to move downward to a lowered position to open the bottom opening, thereby allowing the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber to be lowered to increase the heat exchange area of ​​the evaporation part; when the temperature detected by the temperature probe is higher than the upper temperature limit, it is driven by the transmission mechanism to move upward to a raised position to block the bottom opening, thereby gradually reducing the heat exchange area of ​​the evaporation part as the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber gradually rises.

[0043] Thus, the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber is changed by controlling the up and down movement of the movable bottom plate, thereby changing the heat exchange area and the heat exchange amount accordingly, so as to control the make-up water temperature within the desired temperature range.

[0044] In one or more embodiments, the transmission mechanism comprises a transmission pipe and a T-shaped rod. The transmission pipe is mounted to the bottom of the movable base plate, and the T-shaped rod is configured to be able to move up and down in the transmission pipe to drive the movable base plate to move up and down.

[0045] Thus, the transmission mechanism drives the movable base plate to move up and down by simply driving the T-bar.

[0046] In one or more embodiments, the transmission mechanism is driven by a hydraulic driver to drive the movable base plate to move up and down.

[0047] In one or more embodiments, the transmission mechanism further comprises a first sealing ring, which is arranged between the convex ring and the step portion inside the transmission pipe. The T-shaped rod is pressurized by the hydraulic oil of the hydraulic driver at the lower side and moves upward from the step portion along the transmission pipe to drive the movable bottom plate to the raised position, and moves downward under the action of gravity to return to the step portion by the hydraulic oil pressure relief to drive the movable bottom plate to the lowered position.

[0048] Thus, the hydraulic oil of the hydraulic driver is pressurized and depressurized to drive the T-bar to move so as to drive the movable base plate to move up and down.

[0049] In one or more embodiments, the transmission mechanism further comprises a second sealing ring arranged in the bottom hole of the movable bottom plate and a return block below the bottom hole. The transmission pipeline passes through the return block and the second sealing ring and is sealedly installed in the bottom hole.

[0050] As a result, the transmission mechanism is sealed and firmly connected to the movable base plate.

[0051] In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides an ice-making system, which includes the ice crystal removal structure according to the present disclosure and / or the temperature control system according to the present disclosure.

[0052] Thus, the freezing pipe phenomenon in the ice making system can be prevented with a simple structural arrangement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The present disclosure will be more easily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals represent the same elements. The accompanying drawings are schematic and non-restrictive. The elements in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily represented to scale, for example, the elements may be enlarged for the purpose of illustration, or may be reduced in proportion to keep the drawings clear and easy to understand.

[0054] In the attached picture:

[0055] Figure 1 The flow path diagram of the heat exchange medium of the ice making system in the prior art is schematically shown.

[0056] Figure 2 The structure diagram of an ice-making system using the ice crystal elimination structure according to the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0057] Figure 3 The figure schematically shows a perspective view of an ice crystal removal structure and a temperature control system according to the present disclosure.

[0058] Figure 4 Schematically shows Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the ice crystal removal structure and temperature control system is shown.

[0059] Figure 5 A perspective view of an ice crystal removal structure according to the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0060] Figure 6 Schematically shows Figure 5 Cross-sectional view of the ice crystal elimination structure taken along plane AA.

[0061] Figure 7 Schematically shows Figure 5 Cross-sectional view of the ice crystal elimination structure taken along plane BB.

[0062] Figure 8 Schematically shows Figure 5 Front view of a heat pipe heat exchanger with an ice crystal elimination structure.

[0063] Fig. 9 The heat transfer principle diagram of the heat pipe heat exchanger is schematically shown.

[0064] Fig.10 A partial enlarged view of the evaporation section of the heat pipe heat exchanger is schematically shown.

[0065] Fig.11 A partial enlarged view of the condensation section of the heat pipe heat exchanger is schematically shown.

[0066] Fig.12 The schematic diagram shows the structural details of the heat pipe condensation part of the heat pipe heat exchanger.

[0067] Fig.13 The structural details of the outer sleeve of the ice crystal removal structure are schematically shown.

[0068] Fig.14 The flow field distribution diagram under different L1 parameters is schematically shown.

[0069] Fig.15A cross-sectional view schematically showing the mounting relationship between the transmission mechanism and the movable base plate.

[0070] Fig.16 A cross-sectional view of a transmission conduit of a transmission mechanism is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the accompanying drawings show several embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be presented in a variety of different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below. The embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure of the present disclosure more complete and fully illustrate the scope of protection of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be understood that in all the drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same elements.

[0072] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art in the technical field of the present disclosure. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or structures may not be described in detail. The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The terms "including" and "having" and any derivatives thereof in the specification and claims of the present disclosure are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0073] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish different objects, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the meaning of "plurality" is more than two, unless otherwise clearly defined.

[0074] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0075] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent the following three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone.

[0076] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "upstream", "downstream", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be configured and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0077] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0078] As mentioned above, the prior art has the problem that the frozen pipe phenomenon is prone to occur due to the presence of ice crystals in the cold water flowing into the water inlet of the heat exchanger. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an ice crystal elimination structure to melt the ice crystals. In addition, since it is required to remove the ice crystals and make the temperature rise of the cold water very small, a temperature control system is required, which is used to accurately control the temperature of the replenishing water flowing out of the ice crystal elimination structure.

[0079] The ice crystal removal structure and temperature control system disclosed in the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0080] Figure 1 The flow path diagram of the heat exchange medium of the ice making system of the prior art is schematically shown. Figure 1As shown, the ice making system may mainly include a falling film evaporator 1, a shell and tube condenser 4, a compressor 8, a flasher 9 and related pipelines. When the ice making system is in operation, the low-temperature gaseous refrigerant output from the low-temperature gaseous refrigerant outlet 12 of the falling film evaporator 1 enters the suction end of the compressor 8, and the compressor 8 compresses the low-temperature gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature gaseous refrigerant and discharges it from the exhaust end and enters the shell side of the shell and tube condenser 4 at the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant inlet 41 of the shell and tube condenser 4. The high-temperature gaseous refrigerant is condensed and releases heat on the outer wall of the condenser tube (its heat is taken away by the high-temperature cooling water in the condenser tube) to form a high-temperature liquid refrigerant, flows out through the high-temperature liquid refrigerant outlet 42 at the bottom of the shell and tube condenser 4, and then flashes into a low-temperature liquid refrigerant through the flasher 9, and then enters the falling film evaporator 1 from the low-temperature liquid refrigerant inlet 11 of the falling film evaporator 1. The cooling water on the tube side of the shell and tube condenser 4 flows into and out of the shell and tube condenser 4 through the cooling water inlet end 43 and the cooling water outlet end 45, respectively, to exchange heat with the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant on the shell side of the shell and tube condenser 4. On the tube side of the falling film evaporator 1, low-temperature chilled water flows into the evaporation tube of the falling film evaporator 1 from the low-temperature chilled water inlet 13 to exchange heat with the low-temperature liquid refrigerant on the shell side of the falling film evaporator 1. The temperature of the water is reduced to about -2°C (at this time it is in a supercooled state and does not freeze), and then it is frozen at the ice water outlet 14 of the falling film evaporator 1 through a vibration or impact device to form a chilled water mixture, and then flows into the water tank, and then the visible ice is removed. At this time, the ice water mixture in the water tank has a temperature of 0°C. The low-temperature liquid refrigerant on the shell side of the falling film evaporator 1 absorbs heat and is converted into a low-temperature gaseous refrigerant, which is output from the low-temperature gaseous refrigerant outlet 12 of the falling film evaporator 1 to the compressor 8. The cycle is run in this way to produce chilled water.

[0081] In order to prevent the freezing pipe phenomenon from occurring in the falling film evaporator 1, the concept of the present disclosure is to set an ice crystal elimination structure 10 in the water supply bypass connecting the water tank 2 of the ice making system and the falling film evaporator 1 to provide water supply within the desired temperature range. The ice crystal elimination structure 10 can obtain heat from a heat source. The heat source may include an external heat source and an internal heat source. For example, a portion of the ice crystal elimination structure 10 is placed in the shell side of the shell and tube condenser 4 to exchange heat with a portion of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant therein to obtain heat (that is, to obtain heat from the internal heat source of the ice making system, thereby eliminating the need to introduce an external heat source) to increase the temperature of the ice water containing ice crystals from the water tank 2 by 0.5-1°C and transport it to the falling film evaporator 1 as water supply. Therefore, this arrangement can prevent the freezing pipe phenomenon from occurring without introducing an external heat source.

[0082] exist Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the ice making system may include at least a falling film evaporator 1, a water tank 2, a shell and tube condenser 4, and a water supply bypass. The falling film evaporator 1 is disposed on a higher tube sheet so that its entirety is located above other structures. The water tank 2 is installed below the chilled water outlet 14 of the falling film evaporator 1. The shell and tube condenser 4 is installed on one side of the falling film evaporator 1 and is installed flush with the higher tube sheet in the length direction.

[0083] Reference Figures 2 to 4 , a first rectangular tube 3, an ice crystal elimination structure 10, a second rectangular tube 7, a temperature control assembly 5 and a pump 6 can be arranged in the water supply bypass. The water tank 2 is connected to the ice crystal elimination structure 10 via the first rectangular tube 3, the ice crystal elimination structure 10 is connected to the temperature control assembly 5 downstream through the second rectangular tube 7, the temperature control assembly 5 is connected to the pump 6 downstream through a pipeline, and the pump 6 is connected to the low-temperature chilled water inlet 13 of the falling film evaporator 1 at the downstream water supply port 16. Thus, in the water supply bypass, the ice water (including ice crystals) from the water tank 4 can enter the ice crystal elimination structure 10 to absorb heat to remove tiny ice crystals and increase the temperature by 0.5-1°C, and then the water supply obtained by melting ice flows into the falling film evaporator 1 at the water supply port 16, thereby preventing the occurrence of frozen pipe phenomenon. In addition, the ice crystal elimination structure 10 and a part of the temperature control assembly 5 are placed in the shell side of the horizontal shell and tube condenser 4.

[0084] Specifically, the ice crystal elimination structure 10 according to the present disclosure may include a heat pipe heat exchanger 100. The heat pipe heat exchanger 100 has an evaporation section 112Z, a condensation section 114Z and an insulation section 116Z located between the evaporation section and the condensation section. The condensation section 114Z is arranged in the water replenishment bypass. The evaporation section 112Z is ​​placed in the shell side of the shell and tube condenser 4 to obtain heat by heat exchange with a part of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant on the shell side of the shell and tube condenser 4, thereby eliminating the need to introduce an external heat source. The ice crystal elimination structure 10 is configured to be connected to the water replenishment bypass at the condensation section 114Z through the first rectangular tube 3 and the second rectangular tube 7 located upstream and downstream thereof, respectively.

[0085] On the shell side of the shell and tube condenser 4, a portion of the gaseous high-temperature refrigerant transfers heat to the evaporation section 112Z of the heat pipe heat exchanger 100, and transfers heat to the condensation section 114Z through the adiabatic section 116Z. The condensation section 114 then transfers heat to the ice water to melt the ice crystals in the ice water. In this way, the ice crystal elimination structure obtains heat by heat exchange with a portion of the gaseous high-temperature refrigerant on the shell side of the shell and tube condenser 4 and transfers heat through the heat pipe heat exchanger 100 to melt the ice crystals in the ice water flowing through the ice crystal elimination structure 10. The ice crystal elimination structure not only has high heat transfer efficiency, but also does not require the introduction of an external heat source.

[0086] exist Figure 5-7In the illustrated embodiment, the ice crystal removal structure 10 further includes a lower box 120 and an upper box 130. The heat pipe heat exchanger 100 includes a plurality of heat pipes 110. The plurality of heat pipes 110 are arranged in a plurality of rows and columns to form a rectangular parallelepiped structure. Figure 5 In the example shown, there are 11 rows and 7 columns of heat pipes. It is also feasible to arrange heat pipes in other numbers. Each heat pipe 110 is closed and filled with a heat transfer medium. The heat transfer medium can be a conventional refrigerant, such as R134a, R410A, water vapor, etc. Each heat pipe 110 may have an evaporation portion 112, a condensation portion 114, and an insulation portion 116 located between the evaporation portion and the condensation portion. The evaporation portion 112 of the multiple heat pipes is encapsulated in the lower box 120 to form an evaporation section 112Z (such as the area surrounded by the corresponding dotted box). The condensation portion 114 of the multiple heat pipes is encapsulated in the upper box 130 to form a condensation section 114Z (such as the area surrounded by the corresponding dotted box). The insulation portion 116 of the multiple heat pipes constitutes an insulation section 116Z (such as the area surrounded by the corresponding dotted box). Thus, a heat pipe heat exchanger consisting of multiple heat pipes can provide efficient heat transfer by simply arranging multiple heat pipes.

[0087] Specifically, a plurality of lower sleeves 122 with upper and lower openings are provided in the lower box 120, that is, the lower sleeve may have a top opening and a bottom opening. A plurality of upper sleeves 132 with upper and lower openings are provided in the upper box 130, that is, the upper sleeve may have an upper open port and a lower open port. The evaporation portion 112 of each heat pipe 110 is inserted into the corresponding lower sleeve 122 and is encapsulated in the lower box 120. The condensation portion 114 of the heat pipe 110 is inserted into the corresponding upper sleeve 132 and is encapsulated in the upper box 130. Thus, the heat pipe heat exchanger 100 has an evaporation section 112Z, a condensation section 114Z and an insulation section 116Z respectively identified by dotted boxes. The lower box 120 of the heat pipe heat exchanger is at least partially arranged in the shell side of the shell and tube condenser 4 and connected to the shell of the shell and tube condenser. In this way, an ice water flow channel C is formed in the upper sleeve 132 between the condensation section 114 of the heat pipe and the upper sleeve 132. The narrow ice water flow channel allows the ice water to be in closer contact with the condensation section of each heat pipe for efficient heat exchange. A storage chamber SC for storing high-temperature liquid refrigerant is formed in the lower sleeve 122 between the evaporation section 112 of the heat pipe and the lower sleeve 122 (see Figure 8 and Fig. 9). Thus, the setting of the lower sleeve defines an effective space for heat transfer between a portion of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant from the shell side of the shell and tube condenser and the evaporator. A bottom opening (not shown) is provided at the bottom of each lower sleeve 122. The lower box body 120 is provided with a movable bottom plate 124 at the bottom that can close the bottom opening. The movable bottom plate is configured to be able to move up and down to change the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber by closing and opening the bottom opening. The movable bottom plate is configured to be periodically driven to move up and down. For example, the movable bottom plate 124 can be driven by a transmission mechanism to move up and down.

[0088] refer to Figure 4 , the upper box body 130 has a first inlet port located on the upstream side and a second outlet port located on the downstream side in the upper part. The first rectangular tube 3 connected to the water tank 2 is inserted into the first inlet port to supply ice water containing ice crystals. The second rectangular tube 7 is connected to the second outlet port to output the make-up water obtained by melting ice, for example, to transport the make-up water obtained by melting ice to the falling film evaporator 1. In this way, the ice crystal elimination structure is connected to the make-up water bypass by means of the first rectangular tube 3 and the second rectangular tube 7. The first rectangular tube 3 and the second rectangular tube 7 are constructed as a rectangular structure to match the condensation section 114Z of the heat pipe heat exchanger 100 in a rectangular parallelepiped structure, so as to efficiently transmit more ice water and make-up water to improve the ice melting efficiency.

[0089] refer to Figure 4 , a plurality of holes 32 are provided on the lower surface of the first rectangular tube 3. The first rectangular tube 3 is arranged to extend through the first inlet port into the upper box body so that the plurality of holes 32 are aligned with the upper open ports of the plurality of upper sleeves 132, thereby allowing ice water to smoothly flow into the narrow ice water flow channel C between the upper sleeve 132 and the condensation portion 114, so that multiple streams of ice water can contact the condensation portion 114 of each heat pipe without interfering with each other and at a closer distance for efficient heat exchange, thereby improving the melting efficiency of ice crystals.

[0090] refer to Figure 4 , the first rectangular tube 3 extends through the first inlet port into the top of the condensation section 114Z of the heat pipe heat exchanger 100, and the ice water flowing out from the multiple holes 32 on the lower surface of the first rectangular tube 3 flows into the ice water flow channel C, and then flows through the condensation section 114 to absorb heat and melt to become frozen water with a temperature range between 0.5°C and 1°C. The frozen water flows into the upper box 130 from the lower open port of the upper sleeve 132 as ice-melting and temperature-raising make-up water, and then flows to the downstream of the make-up water bypass through the second rectangular tube 7 connected to the second outlet port. Therefore, the setting of the ice water flow channel C prolongs the flow path of the ice water in the upper box 130, thereby increasing the retention and heat exchange time of the ice water in the upper box 130 to improve the melting efficiency of ice crystals.

[0091] refer to Figure 4, the second rectangular tube 4 is installed as much as possible in the upper part of the upper box 130 and on the lower side of the first rectangular tube 3. Specifically, the upper surface of the second rectangular tube 7 is set to be flush with the lower surface of the first rectangular tube 3. In this way, the ice water in the ice water flow channel C can be slowly accumulated in the upper box 130 to increase the residence time of the ice water, which is conducive to the remaining ice crystals in the ice water settling at the bottom of the upper box and finally melting, further improving the ice melting efficiency.

[0092] refer to Fig. 9 , which shows the heat transfer principle diagram of a heat pipe heat exchanger. The following description is made by taking a heat pipe in a heat pipe heat exchanger as an example. Fig. 9 The direction indicated by the arrow in is the heat transfer direction. During the heat transfer process, a portion of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant in the shell-and-tube condenser 4 enters the lower sleeve 122 and condenses on the outer surface of the evaporation section 112 of each heat pipe 110 to release heat, and becomes a high-temperature liquid refrigerant and is stored in the storage chamber SC. The released heat passes through the tube wall of the evaporation section 112 of the heat pipe 110 and is transferred to the liquid heat transfer medium in the evaporation section 112 and evaporates into a gaseous heat transfer medium. Then the gaseous heat transfer medium transfers the heat to the condensation section 114 through the insulation section 116, where the gaseous heat transfer medium condenses into a liquid heat transfer medium. The released heat is transferred to the ice water flowing through the outer wall of the condensation section 114 through the wall of the condensation section 114. The ice crystals in the ice water absorb heat and melt, and the liquid heat transfer medium flows back to the evaporation section 112 under the action of gravity. The function of the heat pipe heat exchanger 100 is to quickly and efficiently transfer the heat absorbed from the shell-and-tube condenser 4 to the ice water to melt the ice crystals.

[0093] refer to Figures 11 to 14 In order to ensure that ice crystals in the ice water entering the condensation section 114Z of the heat pipe heat exchanger 100 from the water tank 2 are eliminated as completely as possible, it is necessary to control the size of the ice water flow channel C formed between the condensation section 114 of the heat pipe 110 and the upper sleeve 132.

[0094] Specifically, refer to Fig.12 and Fig.13 The outer surface of the condensation part 114 of the heat pipe is provided with a plurality of outer fins extending outward from the outer wall 1141 of the condensation part base tube. The outer fins have an outer fin extension section 1142 and an outer fin folding section 1143. The inner surface of the upper sleeve 132 is provided with a plurality of inner fins extending inward from the outer wall 1321 of the upper sleeve base tube. The inner wing has an inner wing extension section 1322 and an inner wing folding section 1323. Fig.14A winding and extended ice-water flow channel is formed between the multiple inner wings and the multiple outer wings, thereby increasing the retention and heat exchange time of ice-water in the ice-water flow channel, which helps to improve the ablation rate of ice crystals. The sizes of the multiple inner wings and the multiple outer wings are set to be suitable for generating vortices in the ice-water flow channel. The generation of vortices not only increases the heat exchange time of ice-water but also realizes the gradient separation of ice crystals, further improving the ablation efficiency of ice crystals.

[0095] refer to Fig.11 , the relevant dimensions used to define the ice water flow channel are expressed as follows: L1 is the length of the outer wing folding section of the heat pipe condensation part; L2 is the distance between the outer wing extension section of the heat pipe condensation part and the inner wing extension section of the upper sleeve; L3 is the gap between the outer wall of the base tube of the heat pipe condensation section and the inner wing extension section of the upper sleeve; L4 is the gap between the outer wall of the base tube of the heat pipe condensation section and the inner wing folding section of the upper sleeve; L5 is the gap between the inner wing folding section of the upper sleeve and the inner wall of the base tube of the upper sleeve; L6 is the gap between the outer wing folding section of the heat pipe condensation part and the inner wing folding section of the upper sleeve; L7 is the gap between the folding section of the heat pipe condensation section and the inner wall of the base tube of the upper sleeve; L8 is the distance between two adjacent upper sleeve inner wing extension sections. Therefore, the size design of the above parameters is conducive to increasing the retention heat exchange time of ice water in the ice water flow channel and promoting the gradient separation of ice crystals, thereby improving the ablation efficiency of ice crystals.

[0096] In such Fig.11 In the embodiment shown, L1 is a critical dimension, and other dimensions have a certain proportional relationship with L1. Specifically, L1 takes a value between 1.5-3.0 mm, preferably 2.5 mm. The outer fin folding section of the heat pipe condensation part with such a size is conducive to generating the desired vortex. L2 takes a value of 0.2L1-0.5L1, preferably 0.38L1. L3 and L4 are equal, and both take a value of 0.08L1-0.12L1, preferably 0.1L1. L5 takes a value of 0.4L1-0.7L1, preferably 0.58L1. L6 takes a value of 0.2L1-0.4L1, preferably 0.26L1. L7 takes a value of 1.5L1-2.2L1, preferably 2L1. L8 takes a value of 1.5L1-2.5L1, preferably 2.2L1.

[0097] exist Fig.14 The flow field distribution diagrams under different L1 parameters are given in Figure . Fig.14A three-layer fluid region is shown. By increasing the value of L1, it can be found that a vortex begins to form at the bottom of the fluid region, and as L1 increases, it gets closer and closer to the bottom and eventually disappears. Therefore, the setting of the outer wing folded edge section of the heat pipe condensation section facilitates the generation of the desired vortex. In actual heat exchange, in order to completely melt the ice crystals in the ice water, sufficient heat exchange time is required. On the one hand, the generation of the bottom vortex increases the heat exchange time of the ice water in this fluid region. On the other hand, because ice crystals are heavier than water, they are easy to settle under the action of the vortex caused by the multi-layer structure (only a three-layer structure is given as a schematic representation in the figure) to achieve gradient separation of ice crystals, further improving the ablation efficiency of ice crystals.

[0098] Since the condensation temperature in the shell and tube condenser 4 is much higher than that of the ice water during operation, in order to completely melt the ice crystals in the ice water and keep the temperature rise within a controllable range, it is necessary to control the heat conducted through the heat pipe heat exchanger. The water temperature in the water tank is usually 0°C, and it is necessary to use the ice crystal elimination structure to raise its temperature by 0.5-1°C. In this way, the replenishment water temperature flowing out of the ice crystal elimination structure 10 can be between 0.5°C and 1°C. In other words, the upper limit of the replenishment water temperature is 1°C and the lower limit of the temperature is 0.5°C.

[0099] refer to Fig.10 , a storage chamber for storing high-temperature liquid refrigerant is formed between the evaporation portion 112 and the lower sleeve 122 of a single heat pipe 110. The outer diameter of the heat pipe is set to d (unit m), the inner diameter of the lower sleeve is set to D (unit m), and the height of the lower sleeve is set to H (unit m). The maximum heat transfer rate from the shell and tube condenser 4 to the ice water containing ice crystals via the heat pipe heat exchanger 100 is determined based on the diameter of the heat pipe, the diameter of the lower sleeve and the height of the lower sleeve. In this way, the maximum temperature of the replenishment water flowing out of the ice crystal elimination structure can be controlled. The refrigerant mass and heat transfer rate in the high-temperature liquid refrigerant storage chamber satisfy the following formula:

[0100]

[0101] S=πd(Hh(x))

[0102] Δt=t 管壁 -t 冷媒

[0103] q=k·S·Δt

[0104]

[0105] Wherein, q is the condensation heat release rate of high-temperature gaseous refrigerant, unit is W;

[0106] S is the heat exchange area in the high-temperature liquid refrigerant storage chamber formed by a single heat pipe and the lower sleeve, in m2;

[0107] Δt is the wall temperature of the heat pipe管壁 and refrigerant condensation temperature t 冷媒 The difference (about 0.1-0.5℃), unit K;

[0108] k is the heat transfer coefficient ((about 2000-10000W / (m 2 *K)), unit W / (m 2 *K);

[0109] ΔE is the latent heat of the refrigerant at the corresponding condensing temperature, in j / kg;

[0110] ρ is the liquid density of the refrigerant at the corresponding condensing temperature, kg / m3;

[0111] x is the time variable, unit is s;

[0112] m(x) is the mass of liquid refrigerant at different time points, in kg;

[0113] h(x) is the liquid level height of the liquid refrigerant in the high-temperature liquid refrigerant storage room at different time points, in meters.

[0114] Combining the above equations, we can get the following differential equation:

[0115]

[0116] make:

[0117]

[0118] The general solution of h(x) is:

[0119]

[0120] When x=0, h(x)=0, we can get:

[0121]

[0122] You can get:

[0123] h(x)=H-He -Ax

[0124] q=πkdH·Δt·e -Ax

[0125] It can be seen from the above two equations that by controlling the parameters d, H, and D related to the condensation heat release rate q of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant, the maximum heat transfer amount transferred from the shell and tube condenser 4 to the ice water can be controlled.

[0126] refer to Figure 3The present disclosure provides a temperature control system, which includes a temperature control component 5 arranged in the make-up water bypass relative to the downstream of the ice crystal elimination structure to detect the temperature of the make-up water flowing out of the ice crystal elimination structure 10 and control the temperature within a desired temperature range (e.g., between about 0.5° C. and about 1° C.). Thus, the temperature control system can provide instant and precise control of the temperature of the make-up water flowing out of the ice crystal elimination structure.

[0127] The temperature control of the present disclosure is realized based on the following concept: by changing the liquid level height of the storage chamber SC for the high-temperature liquid refrigerant, the heat exchange area between the evaporation portion 112 of each heat pipe 110 and the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant can be changed, thereby changing the amount of heat transferred to the ice water. The temperature control system is configured to dynamically control the replenishment water temperature in association with the liquid level height of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber.

[0128] For this reason, the bottom of each lower sleeve 122 is provided with a bottom opening (not shown). The lower housing 120 has a movable bottom plate 124. The upper surface of the movable bottom plate 124 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 126 that cooperate and seal with the corresponding bottom opening. Thus, the liquid level height of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber is changed by changing the cooperation and sealing conditions of the bottom opening and the protrusion 126. The protrusion 126 can be a conical or cylindrical protrusion. The cylindrical protrusion is convenient for tightly fitting and sealing with the bottom opening. A plurality of cylindrical protrusions 126 are configured to move up and down through the bottom opening so that the movable bottom plate 124 completely blocks the bottom opening when moving to the raised position, so that the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber SC will not flow out. The movable bottom plate 124 moves downward to the descending position so that the bottom opening is opened to allow the high-temperature liquid refrigerant to flow out. Thus, the movable bottom plate moves up and down to close and open the bottom opening of the lower sleeve to change the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber, thereby changing the heat exchange area and the heat exchange amount accordingly to control the make-up water temperature within the desired temperature range.

[0129] There may be a gap between the movable bottom plate 124 and the lower box 120 to allow the gaseous high-temperature refrigerant to enter the lower box 120 through the gap and exchange heat with the evaporation section 112Z. The high-temperature liquid refrigerant flowing out of the bottom opening can also flow out from the above-mentioned gap. Thus, the setting of the gap allows the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant and the high-temperature liquid refrigerant to freely enter and exit the lower box. The high-temperature liquid refrigerant eventually flows to the condenser heat exchange tube area and merges with other liquid refrigerants and flows to the high-temperature liquid refrigerant outlet 42 at the bottom of the shell of the shell and tube condenser.

[0130] The up and down movement of the movable bottom plate 124 can be controlled by the temperature control assembly 5. Figure 3 and Figure 4, the temperature control assembly 5 may include a controller 51, a temperature probe 53 and a transmission mechanism 52. The controller 51 is arranged in the water replenishment bypass and is connected to the ice crystal elimination structure 10 through the second rectangular tube 7. The downstream end of the controller 51 is connected to the water replenishment supply port 16 via a pipeline. Optionally, a pump 6 may be arranged between the downstream end of the controller 51 and the water replenishment supply port 16 to facilitate the flow of replenishment water. One end of the temperature probe 53 is connected to the controller 51 and the other end is inserted into the second rectangular tube 7 to detect the temperature of the replenishment water flowing out of the ice crystal elimination structure 10. Thus, the temperature control assembly realizes the instant detection of the replenishment water temperature. The transmission mechanism 52 is connected to the bottom of the controller 51 and is connected to the movable bottom plate 124 of the lower box 120 of the ice crystal elimination structure 10 to drive the movable bottom plate 124 to move up and down between the raised position and the lowered position based on the temperature detected by the temperature probe 53. Thus, the temperature control system provides dynamic control of the temperature of the replenishment water flowing out of the ice crystal elimination structure.

[0131] Specifically, in temperature control, the temperature control assembly 5 detects the temperature of the replenishing water flowing out of the ice crystal removal structure 10 through the temperature probe 53. The replenishing water temperature can be controlled within a desired temperature range, for example, the upper temperature limit can be about 1°C, and the lower temperature limit can be about 0.5°C.

[0132] When the temperature probe 53 detects that the temperature is lower than the lower temperature limit, the movable bottom plate 124 is driven by the transmission mechanism 52 to move downward to the lowered position to open the bottom opening (that is, the cylindrical protrusion 126 on the movable bottom plate 124 and the bottom opening of the lower sleeve 122 are no longer matched and closed), thereby allowing the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber SC to flow out to lower the liquid level, so that the evaporation portion 112 of each heat pipe can expose more surface area to increase the heat exchange area between the evaporation portion and the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant, thereby increasing the heat exchange amount, so that the replenishment water temperature flowing out of the upper box can be increased to the desired temperature range. When the temperature probe 53 detects that the temperature is higher than the upper temperature limit, the movable bottom plate 124 is driven by the transmission mechanism 52 to move upward to the raised position to block the bottom opening (i.e., the cylindrical protrusion 126 on the movable bottom plate 124 and the bottom opening of the lower sleeve 122 cooperate to close), so that as the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber gradually rises, the heat exchange area between the evaporation part and the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant is gradually reduced, thereby reducing the heat exchange amount, so that the replenishing water temperature flowing out of the upper box can be reduced to the desired temperature range. In this way, the liquid level height of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber is changed by controlling the up and down movement of the movable bottom plate 124, thereby changing the heat exchange area and correspondingly changing the heat exchange amount, so as to control the replenishing water temperature within the desired temperature range. In this way, fine control of the replenishing water temperature can be achieved.

[0133] Taking into account the possible high temperature situation, a certain margin needs to be reserved for the H value during design (i.e., to ensure that the heat exchange area is sufficient). When the temperature is detected to meet the design requirements, the movable bottom plate 124 is periodically controlled to move upward or downward to control the water replenishment temperature within the desired temperature range, while ensuring that the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber SC always has a certain liquid level. Specifically, the movable bottom plate can be periodically moved up and down, thereby closing and opening the bottom opening of the lower sleeve 122 to change the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber, thereby controlling the water replenishment temperature within the desired temperature range. The movable bottom plate can be periodically driven by a transmission mechanism to move up and down.

[0134] The transmission mechanism 52 may be a pipeline structure, which may be driven by a hydraulic driver, a pneumatic driver or a mechanical driver to drive the movable bottom plate 124 to move up and down. Thus, the transmission mechanism 52 may drive the movable bottom plate 126 to move up and down in a variety of ways.

[0135] exist Fig.15 and Fig.16 In the illustrated embodiment, the structure for driving the movable bottom plate 124 to move up and down is a pipeline-type transmission mechanism 52. The transmission mechanism 52 can utilize a hydraulic driver inside to drive the movable bottom plate 124 to move up and down in a hydraulic manner.

[0136] Specifically, refer to Fig.15 The transmission mechanism 52 includes a transmission pipe 521, a first sealing ring 522, a return block 523, a second sealing ring 524 and a T-shaped rod 525. The transmission pipe 521 can be installed to the bottom of the movable bottom plate 124. For example, the transmission pipe 521 can be fixed to the bottom hole 128 of the movable bottom plate 124. The T-shaped rod 525 is configured to be able to move up and down in the transmission pipe 521. Thus, the transmission mechanism drives the movable bottom plate to move up and down by simply driving the T-shaped rod.

[0137] refer to Fig.16 , the first sealing ring 522 is arranged between the convex ring 5212 and the step portion 5214 inside the transmission pipe 521, so as to position the first sealing ring 522 and limit its movement. The first sealing ring 522 facilitates the formation of a tight seal between the T-bar 525 and the transmission pipe 521. The transmission mechanism 52 also includes a second sealing ring 524 arranged in the bottom hole 128 of the movable bottom plate 124 and a return block 523 below the bottom hole 128. The return block 523 is arranged to block the movement of the second sealing ring 524. The transmission pipe 521 is sealedly installed to the bottom hole 128 of the movable bottom plate 124 through the return block 523 and the second sealing ring 524. As a result, the transmission mechanism is sealed and firmly connected to the movable bottom plate.

[0138] During operation, when the T-shaped rod 525 contacts the step 5214 of the transmission pipe 521, the movable bottom plate 124 is in the lowered position, at which time the cylindrical protrusion 126 on the upper surface of the movable bottom plate 124 is disengaged from the bottom opening of the corresponding lower sleeve 122, and the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber SC can flow out freely. When it is necessary to re-match the cylindrical protrusion 126 of the movable bottom plate 124 to close the bottom opening of the corresponding lower sleeve, the T-shaped rod 525 in the transmission pipe 521 is pressurized by the hydraulic oil of the hydraulic driver on the lower side and moves upward from the step 5214 along the transmission pipe 521, and the transmission pipe 521 then drives the movable bottom plate 124 to move upward until the cylindrical protrusion 126 blocks the bottom opening. At this time, the movable bottom plate 124 is in its raised position. By relieving the pressure of the hydraulic oil, the movable bottom plate 124 can drive the T-shaped rod 525 back to the step 5214 under the action of gravity. At this time, the movable bottom plate 124 is in its lowered position. Thus, the hydraulic oil of the hydraulic driver is pressurized and depressurized to drive the T-bar to move up and down to drive the movable bottom plate. In this way, the movable bottom plate 124 can be driven up and down to quickly control the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber SC to control the heat exchange amount, thereby facilitating the precise control of the replenishment water temperature flowing out of the ice crystal removal structure 10.

[0139] In an alternative embodiment not shown, the T-bar 525 within the drive conduit 521 may be driven by a pneumatic drive or a mechanical drive, such as a gear drive.

[0140] The present disclosure may also include an ice-making system, the ice-making system including the ice crystal elimination structure according to the present disclosure and / or the temperature control system according to the present disclosure, thereby preventing the occurrence of frozen pipe phenomenon with a simple structural arrangement.

[0141] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments can still be modified, or some or all of the technical features therein can be replaced by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be included in the scope of the claims and description of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way.

Claims

1. An ice crystal removal structure, characterized in that: The ice crystal elimination structure includes a heat pipe heat exchanger and a lower box body, wherein the heat pipe heat exchanger includes a plurality of closed heat pipes filled with liquid heat transfer medium, each heat pipe having an evaporation portion, a condensation portion and an insulation portion located between the evaporation portion and the condensation portion, the heat pipe heat exchanger is configured to transfer the heat absorbed by the evaporation portion of each heat pipe from a heat source containing a high-temperature gaseous refrigerant to the condensation portion via the insulation portion, and then the condensation portion transfers the heat to ice water containing ice crystals to melt the ice crystals, the evaporation portions of the plurality of heat pipes are encapsulated in the lower box body, the evaporation portion of each heat pipe is inserted in a lower sleeve accommodated in the lower box body to form a storage chamber for storing high-temperature liquid refrigerant between the evaporation portion and the lower sleeve, the bottom of each lower sleeve is provided with a bottom opening, and the lower box body is provided with a movable bottom plate at the bottom that can close the bottom opening, and the movable bottom plate is configured to be able to move up and down to change the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber by closing and opening the bottom opening.

2. The ice crystal removal structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surface of the movable bottom plate is provided with a plurality of protrusions which cooperate and seal with the corresponding bottom openings.

3. The ice crystal removal structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The protrusion is cylindrical.

4. The ice crystal removal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The lower sleeve has a diameter and a height, and the maximum heat transfer amount transferred from the heat source to the ice water containing ice crystals via the heat pipe heat exchanger is determined based on the diameter of the heat pipe, the diameter of the lower sleeve and the height of the lower sleeve.

5. The ice crystal removal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: There is a gap between the movable bottom plate and the lower case.

6. The ice crystal removal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The movable base plate is configured to be periodically driven by a transmission mechanism to move up and down.

7. The ice crystal removal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The ice crystal elimination structure also includes an upper box body, in which the condensation parts of the plurality of heat pipes are encapsulated, and the condensation part of each heat pipe is inserted into an upper sleeve accommodated in the upper box body, thereby forming an ice water flow channel between the condensation part and the upper sleeve.

8. The ice crystal removal structure according to claim 7, characterized in that: The inner surface of the upper sleeve is provided with a plurality of inner fins extending inward from the outer wall of the upper sleeve base tube, and the outer surface of the condensation part of the heat pipe is provided with a plurality of outer fins extending outward from the outer wall of the condensation part base tube.

9. The ice crystal removal structure according to claim 8, characterized in that: The outer wing comprises a heat pipe condensation portion outer wing extension section and a heat pipe condensation portion outer wing folding section, and the inner wing comprises an upper sleeve inner wing extension section and an upper sleeve inner wing folding section.

10. The ice crystal removal structure according to claim 9, characterized in that: The plurality of inner fins and the plurality of outer fins are sized to generate vortices within the ice water flow path.

11. The ice crystal removal structure according to claim 10, characterized in that: The length of the folded edge section of the outer fin of the heat pipe condensation part is between 1.5 mm and 3.0 mm.

12. The ice crystal removal structure according to claim 11, characterized in that: The multiple inner wings and the multiple outer wings have the following size settings: L2 is 0.2L1-0.5L1; L3 and L4 are both 0.08L1-0.12L1; L5 is 0.4L1-0.7L1; L6 is 0.2L1-0.4L1; L7 is 1.5L1-2.2L1; L8 is 1.5L1-2.5L1, Among them, L1 is the length of the outer wing folded section of the heat pipe condensation part; L2 is the distance between the outer wing protruding section of the heat pipe condensation part and the inner wing protruding section of the upper sleeve; L3 is the gap between the outer wall of the base tube of the heat pipe condensation section and the inner wing protruding section of the upper sleeve; L4 is the gap between the outer wall of the base tube of the heat pipe condensation section and the inner wing folded section of the upper sleeve; L5 is the gap between the inner wing folded section of the upper sleeve and the inner wall of the base tube of the upper sleeve; L6 is the gap between the outer wing folded section of the heat pipe condensation part and the inner wing folded section of the upper sleeve; L7 is the gap between the outer wing folded section of the heat pipe condensation section and the inner wall of the base tube of the upper sleeve; L8 is the distance between two adjacent upper sleeve inner wing protruding sections.

13. The ice crystal removal structure according to claims 7-12, characterized in that: The multiple heat pipes are arranged in multiple rows and columns to form a rectangular structure. The upper box has a first inlet port located on the upstream side and a second outlet port located on the downstream side in the upper part. The first rectangular tube is inserted into the first inlet port to supply ice water containing ice crystals, and the second rectangular tube is connected to the second outlet port to output water obtained by melting ice.

14. The ice crystal removal structure according to claim 13, characterized in that: The lower surface of the first rectangular tube is provided with a plurality of holes, and the first rectangular tube is arranged to extend into the upper box through the first inlet port so that the plurality of holes are aligned with the upper open ports of the plurality of upper sleeves, thereby allowing ice water containing ice crystals to flow into the ice water flow channel.

15. The ice crystal removal structure according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that: The upper surface of the second rectangular tube is arranged to be flush with the lower surface of the first rectangular tube.

16. The ice crystal removal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that: The ice crystal elimination structure is arranged in a water supply bypass connecting a water tank of the ice making system and a falling film evaporator, and the lower box body is arranged in the shell side of a shell and tube condenser of the ice making system, and a part of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant in the shell side of the shell and tube condenser is used as the heat source.

17. A temperature control system, characterized in that: The temperature control system includes a temperature control component and an ice crystal removal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 16, the temperature control component and the ice crystal removal structure are arranged in a water tank connected to the ice making system and a water replenishment bypass of the falling film evaporator, and the temperature control component is located downstream relative to the ice crystal removal structure, the temperature control component includes a controller and a transmission mechanism connected to the controller, the controller controls the transmission mechanism to drive the movable bottom plate to move up and down, so as to control the temperature of the replenishment water flowing out of the ice crystal removal structure within a desired temperature range.

18. The temperature control system according to claim 17, characterized in that: The temperature control component includes a temperature probe, and the controller is connected to the ice crystal elimination structure through a second rectangular tube. One end of the temperature probe is connected to the controller and the other end is inserted into the second rectangular tube to detect the temperature of the replenished water. The controller controls the transmission mechanism to drive the movable bottom plate to move up and down based on the temperature detected by the temperature probe.

19. The temperature control system according to claim 18, characterized in that: The movable bottom plate is constructed as follows: when the temperature detected by the temperature probe is lower than the lower temperature limit, it is driven by the transmission mechanism to move downward to a lowered position to open the bottom opening, thereby allowing the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber to be lowered to increase the heat exchange area of ​​the evaporation part; when the temperature detected by the temperature probe is higher than the upper temperature limit, it is driven by the transmission mechanism to move upward to a raised position to block the bottom opening, thereby gradually reducing the heat exchange area of ​​the evaporation part as the liquid level of the high-temperature liquid refrigerant in the storage chamber gradually rises.

20. The temperature control system according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism comprises a transmission pipe and a T-shaped rod. The transmission pipe is installed at the bottom of the movable bottom plate. The T-shaped rod is configured to be able to move up and down in the transmission pipe to drive the movable bottom plate to move up and down.

21. The temperature control system according to claim 20, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism is driven by a hydraulic driver to drive the movable bottom plate to move up and down.

22. The temperature control system according to claim 21, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism also includes a first sealing ring, which is arranged between the convex ring and the step portion inside the transmission pipe. The T-bar moves upward from the step portion along the transmission pipe through the hydraulic oil pressurization of the hydraulic driver on the lower side to drive the movable base plate to the raised position, and moves downward under the action of gravity to return to the step portion through the hydraulic oil pressure relief to drive the movable base plate to the lowered position.

23. The temperature control system according to any one of claims 17 to 22, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism further comprises a second sealing ring arranged in the bottom hole of the movable bottom plate and a return block below the bottom hole, and the transmission pipe passes through the return block and the second sealing ring and is sealingly installed to the bottom hole.

24. An ice-making system, comprising the ice crystal removal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 16 and / or the temperature control system according to any one of claims 17 to 23.

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