A control method for an ice making machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a control method for an ice maker. In the technical field of ice maker control, the present invention dynamically adjusts the supply rate of a refrigerant according to the difference between the pure water temperature in an ice-making mold and a target temperature, thereby ensuring that the temperature control in the ice-making process is more precise, improving the ice-making efficiency, and reducing energy consumption. At the same time, the ice-making process is divided into a plurality of stages, and the supply rate of the refrigerant is accurately controlled in each stage according to different temperature differences and water inlet flow parameters, thereby controlling the temperature to drop smoothly, avoiding the problem of ice crystals caused by a too rapid drop in temperature, and ultimately causing poor freezing quality of ice cubes. The intelligent temperature control system and the multi-stage ice-making process ensure the stability and reliability of the ice-making process, and effectively prevent equipment failures caused by abnormal water temperature. At the same time, the multi-mode selection and the intelligent alarm system enhance the user experience, so that the ice maker can maintain efficient operation under different environmental conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of ice making machine control, and in particular to a control method for an ice making machine. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology and the improvement of people's living standards, ice machines are increasingly used as commercial and household equipment. Traditional ice machines usually use a fixed refrigerant supply and water flow rate during the ice-making process, which leads to low ice-making efficiency and high energy consumption under different environmental conditions. Especially when the water temperature in the water storage tank is too high, the fixed refrigerant supply will directly affect the speed and efficiency of ice making. When the water temperature is too low, the fixed refrigerant supply rate will cause the water temperature to drop too quickly and produce crystals, affecting the subsequent ice-making quality. Even too low water temperature causes the water storage tank to freeze and cannot be used. Traditional ice machines cannot adjust the refrigerant supply rate of the ice machine according to actual conditions, and thus cannot accurately control the temperature during the ice-making process, and thus cannot control the quality and efficiency of ice making.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a control method for an ice maker to solve the above technical problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a control method for an ice-making machine, which achieves the beneficial effect of improving ice-making efficiency and ice-making quality.

[0005] The present invention provides a control method for an ice maker, the control method comprising the following steps:

[0006] S1: After the ice-making program is started, the current ice-making mode and water temperature of the water tank are obtained. If the water temperature of the water tank is greater than the preset freezing point temperature, S2 is executed. If the water temperature of the water tank is less than or equal to the freezing point temperature, the current ice-making program is paused, the water tank heating and insulation program is started, and a water tank freezing alarm is issued. When the water temperature of the water tank rises to the preset safe water temperature range, the alarm is lifted and S2 is executed;

[0007] S2: obtaining the temperature of pure water to be used for ice making, and calculating the difference between the temperature of pure water to be used for ice making and a preset buffer starting temperature to obtain an initial temperature difference. If the initial temperature difference is greater than a preset first temperature difference threshold, executing S3; if the initial temperature difference is less than or equal to the first temperature difference threshold, executing S4;

[0008] S3: supplying pure water to the ice-making mold at a preset first water inlet flow rate, and regularly calculating the difference between the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold and the buffer starting temperature to obtain a first temperature difference, calculating a first refrigerant supply rate based on the first temperature difference and the first water inlet flow rate, and supplying refrigerant at the first refrigerant supply rate until the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold drops to the buffer starting temperature, and executing S4;

[0009] S4: regularly calculating the difference between the pure water temperature and the freezing point temperature in the ice-making mold to obtain a second temperature difference, calculating a second refrigerant supply rate based on the second temperature difference and the first water inlet flow rate, and supplying refrigerant at the second refrigerant supply rate until the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold drops to the freezing point temperature, and executing S5;

[0010] S5: regularly calculating the difference between the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold and the preset ice cube complete freezing temperature to obtain a third temperature difference, calculating a third refrigerant supply rate based on the third temperature difference and the preset second water inlet flow rate, and supplying refrigerant at the third refrigerant supply rate until the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold drops to the ice cube complete freezing temperature, and executing S6;

[0011] S6: After the ice cubes are frozen, the ice-making mold is heated to a preset defrosting temperature for defrosting. After defrosting is completed, the process returns to S2 to execute the next ice-making cycle.

[0012] Preferably, step S1 further comprises obtaining the ambient temperature of the ice maker through an ambient temperature sensor, and adjusting the execution power of the water tank heating and insulation program according to the ambient temperature.

[0013] Preferably, in step S3, the calculation formula of the first refrigerant supply rate is:

[0014] R1=k1×ΔT1×Q1+R0

[0015] ΔT1=T w -T b

[0016] R1≤R max

[0017] Wherein, R1 is the first refrigerant supply rate, k1 is the proportionality coefficient, Q1 is the first water inlet flow rate, R0 is the preset standard refrigerant supply rate, ΔT1 is the first temperature difference, T w is the pure water temperature in the ice mold, T b is the buffer starting temperature, R max is the maximum refrigerant supply rate.

[0018] Preferably, in step S4, the calculation formula of the second refrigerant supply rate is:

[0019]

[0020] ΔT2=T w -T0

[0021] Where R2 is the second refrigerant supply rate, R0 is the standard refrigerant supply rate, k2 is the attenuation coefficient, ΔT2 is the second temperature difference, Q1 is the first water inlet flow rate, C is the unit conversion factor, R minis the minimum refrigerant supply rate, T w is the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold, and T0 is the freezing point temperature.

[0022] Preferably, step S4 further comprises reducing the refrigeration power of the ice maker by reducing the operating frequency of the compressor when the second temperature difference is less than or equal to a preset second temperature difference threshold.

[0023] Preferably, in step S5, the calculation formula of the third refrigerant supply rate is:

[0024] R3=(a×ΔT3 2 +b×ΔT3+c)×Q2

[0025] ΔT3=T i -T f

[0026] Wherein, R3 is the third refrigerant supply rate, ΔT3 is the third temperature difference, a, b, c are polynomial coefficients, Q2 is the second water inlet flow rate, T i is the temperature of ice cubes in the ice mold, T f The temperature at which ice cubes are completely frozen.

[0027] Preferably, in step S5, the ice cube completely freezing temperature is obtained through a preset complete freezing temperature mapping table, and the complete freezing temperature mapping table includes different ice cube completely freezing temperatures set according to different ice making modes.

[0028] Preferably, in step S5, the second water inlet flow rate is obtained through a preset water inlet flow rate mapping table, wherein the water inlet flow rate mapping table includes different water inlet flow rates set according to different ice making modes and is regularly updated according to seasonal changes.

[0029] Preferably, in step S5, if the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold does not reach the temperature at which the ice cubes are completely frozen and the third temperature difference remains unchanged for more than a preset time interval, it is judged as an ice-making abnormality, the current ice-making operation is suspended and an ice-making abnormality alarm is issued.

[0030] Preferably, step S6 further includes a defrosting procedure for the ice maker, wherein the defrosting procedure is executed when it is detected that the thickness of the frost layer reaches a preset thickness threshold after de-icing is completed.

[0031] Compared with the related art, the control method of an ice maker provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0032] The present invention dynamically adjusts the refrigerant supply rate according to the difference between the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold and the target temperature, thereby ensuring that the temperature control in the ice-making process is more accurate, improving the ice-making efficiency, and reducing energy consumption. At the same time, the ice-making process is divided into multiple stages, and each stage accurately controls the refrigerant supply rate according to different temperature differences and water inlet flow parameters, thereby controlling the temperature to drop slowly, avoiding the problem of ice crystals caused by too fast a temperature drop, and ultimately causing poor freezing quality of ice cubes. The intelligent temperature control system and multi-stage ice-making process ensure the stability and reliability of the ice-making process, and effectively prevent equipment failures caused by abnormal water temperature. At the same time, the multi-mode selection and intelligent alarm system improve the user experience, so that the ice-making machine can maintain efficient operation under different environmental conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 The present invention is a flow chart of a control method for an ice maker. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the present invention, rather than all structures, are shown in the accompanying drawings. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other without conflict.

[0035] It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the part relevant to the present invention but not all content is shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be mentioned before discussing exemplary embodiments in more detail that some exemplary embodiments are described as processing or methods depicted as flow charts. Although the flow chart describes each operation (or step) as sequential processing, many operations therein can be implemented in parallel, concurrently or simultaneously. In addition, the order of each operation can be rearranged. When its operation is completed, the processing can be terminated, but it can also have additional steps not included in the accompanying drawings. The processing can correspond to methods, functions, procedures, subroutines, subprograms, etc.

[0036] Embodiment 1

[0037] A control method for an ice making machine, in a specific implementation process, such as Figure 1 As shown, it shows a schematic flow chart of a control method for an ice maker, including:

[0038] Step S1: After the ice-making program is started, the current ice-making mode and the water temperature of the water tank are obtained. If the water temperature of the water tank is greater than the preset freezing point temperature, S2 is executed. If the water temperature of the water tank is less than or equal to the freezing point temperature, the current ice-making program is paused, the water tank heating and insulation program is started, and a water tank freezing alarm is issued. When the water temperature of the water tank rises to the preset safe water temperature range, the alarm is lifted and S2 is executed.

[0039] During the specific implementation process, the user selects the ice-making mode to start the ice-making program of the ice-maker. First, the water temperature of the water tank of the ice-maker is obtained. If the water temperature of the water tank is greater than the preset freezing point temperature, it means that the water in the water tank is not frozen. Step S2 is directly executed, wherein the preset freezing point temperature is 0°C. If the water temperature of the water tank is less than or equal to the freezing point temperature, it means that the water in the water tank is at risk of freezing, affecting the operation of the ice-maker. Therefore, the current ice-making program is paused, and the water tank heating and insulation program is started. A water tank freezing alarm is issued to the user. The alarm is lifted when the water temperature of the water tank rises to the preset safe water temperature range. After the alarm is lifted, S2 is executed, wherein, for example, the preset safe water temperature range is 1°C to 5°C.

[0040] Specifically, step S1 also includes obtaining the ambient temperature of the ice maker through an ambient temperature sensor, and adjusting the execution power of the water tank heating and insulation program according to the ambient temperature.

[0041] During the specific implementation process, the execution power of the water tank heating and insulation program is adjusted according to the environment around the ice maker. The lower the temperature, the higher the execution power of the heating and insulation program, ensuring that the water temperature of the water tank remains within the safe water temperature range and the normal operation of the ice maker is guaranteed.

[0042] Step S2: Obtain the water temperature of the pure water to be used for ice making, and calculate the difference between the water temperature of the pure water to be used for ice making and the preset buffer starting temperature to obtain an initial temperature difference. If the initial temperature difference is greater than the preset first temperature difference threshold, execute S3; if the initial temperature difference is less than or equal to the first temperature difference threshold, execute S4.

[0043] During the specific implementation process, first, the water temperature of the pure water to be iced is obtained, and then the difference between the water temperature of the pure water to be iced and the preset buffer starting temperature is calculated to obtain the initial temperature difference, and the initial temperature difference is compared with the preset first temperature difference threshold to determine the next execution step of the program. For example, the water temperature of the pure water to be iced is 10°C, the preset buffer starting temperature is 6°C, and the preset first temperature difference threshold is 3°C. The water temperature of the pure water to be iced is 10°C minus the buffer starting temperature of 6°C to obtain an initial temperature difference of 4°C, which is greater than the preset first temperature difference threshold of 3°C. The program then executes S3. If the water temperature of the pure water to be iced is 7°C at this time, the initial temperature difference is 1°C, which is less than the first temperature difference threshold, and program S4 is directly executed.

[0044] Step S3: supply pure water to the ice-making mold at a preset first water inlet flow rate, and periodically calculate the difference between the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold and the buffer starting temperature to obtain a first temperature difference, calculate a first refrigerant supply rate based on the first temperature difference and the first water inlet flow rate, and supply refrigerant at the first refrigerant supply rate until the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold drops to the buffer starting temperature, and execute S4.

[0045] During the specific implementation process, pure water is supplied to the ice-making mold at a preset first water inlet flow rate, which is determined by actual experiments to ensure that the pure water in the ice-making mold can fully exchange heat with the refrigerant. The difference between the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold and the buffer starting temperature is calculated at regular intervals to obtain a first temperature difference. The first refrigerant supply rate is calculated based on the first temperature difference and the first water inlet flow rate, and the refrigerant is supplied at the first refrigerant supply rate. The first temperature difference is calculated at a fixed time interval to obtain a first temperature difference. During the refrigerant supply process, the first temperature difference is constantly decreasing, and the calculated first refrigerant supply rate is also constantly decreasing, so that the rate of decrease in the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold is also constantly decreasing, thereby achieving the effect of rapid pre-cooling of the pure water in the ice-making mold. The cooling rate is fast when the first temperature difference is large, and the cooling rate is slow when the first temperature difference is small.

[0046] Specifically, in step S3, the calculation formula of the first refrigerant supply rate is:

[0047] R1=k1×ΔT1×Q1+R0

[0048] ΔT1=T w -T b

[0049] R1≤R max

[0050] Wherein, R1 is the first refrigerant supply rate, k1 is the proportionality coefficient, Q1 is the first water inlet flow rate, R0 is the preset standard refrigerant supply rate, ΔT1 is the first temperature difference, T w is the pure water temperature in the ice mold, T b is the buffer starting temperature, R max is the maximum refrigerant supply rate.

[0051] In the specific implementation process, the calculation formula of the first refrigerant supply rate ensures that the first refrigerant supply rate is large when the first temperature difference is large, and the first refrigerant supply rate is also reduced after the first temperature difference gradually decreases, so that the temperature drop will not exceed the buffer starting temperature while achieving rapid pre-cooling, and accurately controlling the drop in the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold. R0 is the preset standard refrigerant supply rate, which is obtained through actual experiments, and R max The maximum refrigerant supply rate is the maximum refrigerant supply rate that the ice maker can provide.

[0052] Step S4: regularly calculate the difference between the pure water temperature and the freezing point temperature in the ice-making mold to obtain a second temperature difference, calculate a second refrigerant supply rate based on the second temperature difference and the first water inlet flow rate, and supply refrigerant at the second refrigerant supply rate until the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold drops to the freezing point, and execute S5.

[0053] During the specific implementation process, after the cooling treatment of step S3, the difference between the water temperature of the pure water in the ice-making mold and the freezing point temperature is calculated at regular intervals to obtain a second temperature difference, and the second refrigerant supply rate is calculated based on the second temperature difference and the first water inlet flow rate, and the refrigerant is supplied at the second refrigerant supply rate. This step requires controlling the pure water in the ice-making mold to slowly cool to the freezing point temperature. Too rapid a temperature drop will cause the pure water to produce ice crystals or the temperature to drop below the freezing point, affecting the execution of subsequent ice-making programs. Therefore, the supply rate of the second refrigerant is strictly controlled by the calculated second refrigerant supply rate.

[0054] Specifically, in step S4, the calculation formula of the second refrigerant supply rate is:

[0055]

[0056] ΔT2=T w -T0

[0057] Where R2 is the second refrigerant supply rate, R0 is the standard refrigerant supply rate, k2 is the attenuation coefficient, ΔT2 is the second temperature difference, Q1 is the first water inlet flow rate, C is the unit conversion factor, R min is the minimum refrigerant supply rate, T w is the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold, and T0 is the freezing point temperature.

[0058] During the specific implementation process, the second refrigerant supply rate ensures that the temperature of the pure water in the ice-making mold drops to the freezing point smoothly, preventing the formation of ice crystals due to excessively rapid temperature drop, and excessively rapid temperature drop causing the pure water in the ice-making mold to freeze prematurely, affecting the execution of subsequent ice-making programs.

[0059] Specifically, step S4 further includes reducing the refrigeration power of the ice maker by reducing the operating frequency of the compressor when the second temperature difference is less than or equal to a preset second temperature difference threshold.

[0060] During the specific implementation process, a second temperature difference threshold is also preset. For example, the preset second temperature difference threshold is 3°C. When the second temperature difference is less than 3°C, the refrigeration power of the ice maker is reduced by reducing the operating frequency of the compressor, and the supply rate of the refrigerant is reduced to achieve the purpose of slowing down the rate of decrease in the temperature of the pure water in the ice-making mold, so that the pure water in the ice-making mold can be smoothly reduced to the freezing point without falling below the freezing point in advance. The energy consumption of the ice maker is reduced while ensuring the quality of ice making.

[0061] Step S5: regularly calculate the difference between the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold and the preset ice cube complete freezing temperature to obtain a third temperature difference, calculate a third refrigerant supply rate based on the third temperature difference and the preset second water inlet flow rate, and supply refrigerant at the third refrigerant supply rate until the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold drops to the ice cube complete freezing temperature, and execute S6.

[0062] Specifically, in step S5, the calculation formula of the third refrigerant supply rate is:

[0063] R3=(a×ΔT3 2 +b×ΔT3+c)×Q2

[0064] ΔT3=T i -T f

[0065] Wherein, R3 is the third refrigerant supply rate, ΔT3 is the third temperature difference, a, b, c are polynomial coefficients, Q2 is the second water inlet flow rate, T i is the temperature of ice cubes in the ice mold, T f The temperature at which ice cubes are completely frozen

[0066] During the specific implementation process, after step S5, the temperature of the pure water in the ice-making mold has dropped to the freezing point temperature. If the refrigerant is continuously supplied, the pure water in the ice-making mold will slowly freeze into ice cubes. The difference between the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold and the preset ice cube complete freezing temperature is calculated at regular intervals to obtain a third temperature difference. The third refrigerant supply rate is calculated based on the third temperature difference and the preset second water inlet flow rate. During the freezing process of the ice cubes, if the temperature drops too quickly, it will affect the transparency of the ice cubes, resulting in poor quality of the ice cubes. If the temperature drops too slowly, it will affect the efficiency of ice making and also affect the hardness of the ice cubes. The calculation formula of the third refrigerant supply rate ensures that the freezing temperature of the ice cubes is lowered smoothly based on the third temperature difference and the preset second water inlet flow rate, thereby ensuring the quality and rate of ice cube freezing.

[0067] Specifically, in step S5, the ice cube completely frozen temperature is obtained through a preset complete freezing temperature mapping table, and the complete freezing temperature mapping table includes different ice cube completely frozen temperatures set according to different ice making modes.

[0068] During the specific implementation process, the complete freezing temperature mapping table is obtained based on experimental data and theoretical calculations. There is a complete freezing temperature setting for each ice-making mode. During the execution of step S5, the corresponding complete freezing temperature threshold is searched from the mapping table according to the selected ice-making mode. Once the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold drops to the complete freezing temperature under the selected mode, it is considered that the ice cubes have been completely frozen.

[0069] Specifically, in step S5, the second water inlet flow rate is obtained through a preset water inlet flow rate mapping table, which includes different water inlet flow rates set according to different ice-making modes and is regularly updated according to seasonal changes.

[0070] During the specific implementation process, the water inlet flow mapping table records the water inlet flow required for different ice-making modes. The water inlet flow mapping table is calculated based on experimental data. During the execution of step S5, the corresponding second water inlet flow is found from the mapping table according to the selected ice-making mode to provide a calculation basis for the subsequent second refrigerant supply rate. Taking into account the impact of seasonal factors on water temperature, for example, the higher water temperature in summer may require an increase in water inlet volume to ensure rapid cooling. Therefore, the water inlet flow mapping table also includes data that is regularly updated with seasonal changes.

[0071] Specifically, in step S5, if the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice making mold does not reach the temperature at which the ice cubes are completely frozen and the third temperature difference remains unchanged for more than a preset time interval, it is determined that ice making is abnormal, the current ice making operation is suspended and an ice making abnormality alarm is issued.

[0072] During the specific implementation process, step S5 will periodically calculate the difference between the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold and the preset ice cube complete freezing temperature. For example, the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold has not reached the ice cube complete freezing temperature, the time interval for the timed calculation is 5 seconds, and the preset time interval is 30 seconds. If there is no change in the third temperature difference within 30 seconds, it is considered that the ice making is abnormal, the current ice making program is paused and an ice making abnormality alarm is issued.

[0073] S6: After the ice cubes are frozen, the ice-making mold is heated to a preset defrosting temperature for defrosting. After defrosting is completed, the process returns to S2 to execute the next ice-making cycle.

[0074] During the specific implementation process, after the ice cubes are frozen, it is necessary to remove the ice cubes from the ice-making mold, start the heating element or adjust the settings of the refrigeration system to increase the temperature of the ice-making mold, and continuously monitor the actual temperature of the mold to ensure that it reaches the preset defrosting temperature. When the detection device detects that the ice cubes have fallen, it is considered that defrosting is completed, and the ice-making program returns to step S2 to execute the next ice-making cycle.

[0075] Specifically, step S6 also includes a defrosting procedure of the ice maker, which is executed when it is detected that the thickness of the frost layer reaches a preset thickness threshold after the de-icing is completed.

[0076] During the specific implementation process, the ice maker needs to be defrosted regularly. After a long period of ice making, a layer of frost will remain in the ice mold. The frost layer will not only affect the heat transfer between the refrigerant and the ice cubes in the ice mold, but also affect the quality of the ice cubes and the smooth progress of the defrosting program. After each defrosting is completed, the system will use the detection of the frost thickness inside the ice maker. If it is detected that the frost thickness reaches the preset thickness threshold, all other operations will be stopped and the defrosting program will be triggered.

[0077] The working principle of the control method of an ice making machine provided by the present invention is as follows:

[0078] The present invention divides the control of the ice-making process of the ice-making machine into three main stages. In the first stage, the difference between the pure water temperature and the buffer starting temperature in the ice-making mold is calculated at a regular interval to obtain a first temperature difference. A first refrigerant supply rate is calculated based on the first temperature difference and the first water inlet flow rate, and the refrigerant is supplied at the first refrigerant supply rate. The calculation formula of the first refrigerant supply rate ensures that the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold, which is too high in temperature, can be quickly reduced to the buffer starting temperature in this stage, so as to achieve the purpose of rapid cooling, improve the efficiency of ice-making, and shorten the time of ice-making. When the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold is reduced to the buffer starting temperature, the cooling program of the second stage is started. In this stage, the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold has not reached the freezing point temperature, and it is necessary to slowly cool down the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold to reduce it to the freezing point. Too fast cooling will cause the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold to drop rapidly, resulting in uneven temperature and ice crystals, which will affect the subsequent freezing quality of ice cubes. Therefore, buffer cooling in this stage is required. By regularly calculating the temperature of the ice-making mold The second temperature difference is obtained by calculating the difference between the pure water temperature in the ice making mold and the freezing point temperature. The second temperature difference is calculated based on the second temperature difference and the first water inlet flow rate, and the refrigerant is supplied at the second refrigerant supply rate. The formula for calculating the second refrigerant supply rate ensures a smooth decrease in the second refrigerant supply rate, thereby controlling the smooth decrease in the pure water temperature in the ice making mold until the freezing point temperature is reached. After the pure water temperature in the ice making mold reaches the freezing point temperature, the third stage of cooling is started, that is, the cooling in the ice freezing stage. In order to ensure the quality of ice freezing, the difference between the ice temperature in the ice making mold and the preset ice complete freezing temperature is calculated at regular intervals to obtain the third temperature difference. Based on the preset second water inlet flow rate and the third temperature difference, the third refrigerant supply rate is calculated using the third refrigerant supply rate calculation formula. The third refrigerant supply rate calculation formula also ensures a smooth decrease in the third refrigerant supply rate, so that the quality of ice freezing is better, and the problem of poor opacity caused by uneven freezing of ice cubes due to excessively fast temperature reduction will not occur. Through the above three main stages of temperature reduction control, not only the ice-making efficiency of the ice-making machine is improved, but also the ice-making quality of the ice-making machine can be improved, while reducing energy consumption while ensuring smooth ice-making.

[0079] The present application is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0080] A person skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the steps in the various methods of the above embodiments can be completed by instructing related hardware through a program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the storage medium includes a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a one-time programmable read-only memory (OTPROM), an electronically erasable rewritable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage, magnetic tape storage, or any other computer-readable medium that can be used to carry or store data.

[0081] It should also be noted that the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, commodity or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, commodity or device. In the absence of more restrictions, the elements defined by the sentence "comprises a ..." do not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, commodity or device including the elements.

Claims

1. A control method for an ice maker, characterized in that: The control method comprises the following steps: S1: After the ice-making program is started, the current ice-making mode and water temperature of the water tank are obtained. If the water temperature of the water tank is greater than the preset freezing point temperature, S2 is executed. If the water temperature of the water tank is less than or equal to the freezing point temperature, the current ice-making program is paused, the water tank heating and insulation program is started, and a water tank freezing alarm is issued. When the water temperature of the water tank rises to the preset safe water temperature range, the alarm is lifted and S2 is executed; S2: obtaining the temperature of pure water to be used for ice making, and calculating the difference between the temperature of pure water to be used for ice making and a preset buffer starting temperature to obtain an initial temperature difference. If the initial temperature difference is greater than a preset first temperature difference threshold, executing S3; if the initial temperature difference is less than or equal to the first temperature difference threshold, executing S4; S3: supplying pure water to the ice-making mold at a preset first water inlet flow rate, and regularly calculating the difference between the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold and the buffer starting temperature to obtain a first temperature difference, calculating a first refrigerant supply rate based on the first temperature difference and the first water inlet flow rate, and supplying refrigerant at the first refrigerant supply rate until the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold drops to the buffer starting temperature, and executing S4; S4: regularly calculating the difference between the pure water temperature and the freezing point temperature in the ice-making mold to obtain a second temperature difference, calculating a second refrigerant supply rate based on the second temperature difference and the first water inlet flow rate, and supplying refrigerant at the second refrigerant supply rate until the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold drops to the freezing point temperature, and executing S5; S5: regularly calculating the difference between the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold and the preset ice cube complete freezing temperature to obtain a third temperature difference, calculating a third refrigerant supply rate based on the third temperature difference and the preset second water inlet flow rate, and supplying refrigerant at the third refrigerant supply rate until the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice-making mold drops to the ice cube complete freezing temperature, and executing S6; S6: After the ice cubes are frozen, the ice-making mold is heated to a preset defrosting temperature for defrosting. After defrosting is completed, the process returns to S2 to execute the next ice-making cycle.

2. The ice making machine control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Step S1 also includes obtaining the ambient temperature of the ice maker through an ambient temperature sensor, and adjusting the execution power of the water tank heating and insulation program according to the ambient temperature.

3. The control method of an ice making machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: In step S3, the calculation formula of the first refrigerant supply rate is: R1=k1×ΔT1×Q1+R0 ΔT1=T w -T b R1≤R max Wherein, R1 is the first refrigerant supply rate, k1 is the proportionality coefficient, Q1 is the first water inlet flow rate, R0 is the preset standard refrigerant supply rate, ΔT1 is the first temperature difference, T w is the pure water temperature in the ice mold, T b is the buffer starting temperature, r max is the maximum refrigerant supply rate.

4. The control method of an ice making machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: In step S4, the calculation formula of the second refrigerant supply rate is: ΔT2=T w -T0 Where R2 is the second refrigerant supply rate, R0 is the standard refrigerant supply rate, k2 is the attenuation coefficient, ΔT2 is the second temperature difference, Q1 is the first water inlet flow rate, C is the unit conversion factor, R min is the minimum refrigerant supply rate, T w is the pure water temperature in the ice-making mold, and T0 is the freezing point temperature.

5. The control method of an ice-making machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: Step S4 also includes reducing the refrigeration power of the ice maker by reducing the operating frequency of the compressor when the second temperature difference is less than or equal to a preset second temperature difference threshold.

6. The control method of an ice making machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: In step S5, the calculation formula of the third refrigerant supply rate is: R3=(a×ΔT3 2 +b×ΔT3+c)×Q2 ΔT3=T i -T f Wherein, R3 is the third refrigerant supply rate, ΔT3 is the third temperature difference, a, b, c are polynomial coefficients, Q2 is the second water inlet flow rate, T i is the temperature of ice cubes in the ice mold, T f The temperature at which ice cubes are completely frozen.

7. The control method of an ice-making machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: In step S5, the ice cube completely frozen temperature is obtained through a preset complete freezing temperature mapping table, and the complete freezing temperature mapping table includes different ice cube completely frozen temperatures set according to different ice making modes.

8. The ice making machine control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: In step S5, the second water inlet flow rate is obtained through a preset water inlet flow rate mapping table, wherein the water inlet flow rate mapping table includes different water inlet flow rates set according to different ice making modes and is regularly updated according to seasonal changes.

9. The ice making machine control method according to claim 8, characterized in that: In step S5, if the temperature of the ice cubes in the ice making mold does not reach the temperature at which the ice cubes are completely frozen and the third temperature difference remains unchanged for more than a preset time interval, it is determined that ice making is abnormal, the current ice making operation is suspended and an ice making abnormality alarm is issued.

10. The ice making machine control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: Step S6 also includes a defrosting procedure for the ice maker, which is executed when it is detected that the thickness of the frost layer reaches a preset thickness threshold after de-icing is completed.

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