Efficient and energy-saving modular ice-making system and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides an efficient and energy-saving modular ice-making system and a control method thereof. Comprising a refrigerating unit, movable ice pools and related pipelines, the refrigerating unit is connected to the movable ice pools through the related pipelines, the number of the movable ice pools is at least two (a plurality of movable ice pools can be connected in parallel for use according to market requirements, and meanwhile, the movable ice pools have the function of an ice house). Cold loss is effectively isolated through a multi-layer heat insulation structure, the modularized container type ice pool can be flexibly moved, large equipment such as a crane does not need to be matched, the capital construction cost is greatly reduced, market changes can be quickly responded, a water inlet steel pipe evenly sprays, and a bottom water return steel pipe efficiently collects water. Alternating operation of double ice pools or multiple ice pools is achieved through valve switching, ice bottles can be continuously produced, the utilization rate of a production line is improved, ice slides out through inclined outlets in the bottoms of the ice pools in cooperation with gravity, damage caused by mechanical fishing is thoroughly avoided, and zero loss is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and particularly to an energy-efficient modular ice-making system and its control method. The fully enclosed, fully insulated and optimized heat exchange modular ice-making system of the present invention can be used to produce ice bottles and block ice simultaneously with one set of equipment, and is applicable to industrial ice-making, cold chain logistics, food processing and other fields. Background Art

[0002] At present, the existing ice-making systems need to use industrial land, build standard workshops and install overhead cranes for production and operation. The use of underground ice pools has high civil construction costs and long construction periods. Once adverse factors such as market changes occur in the surrounding area, it is impossible to move away, and only the original equipment can be demolished and rebuilt at a new location. The ice pools of traditional ice-making systems are open-type. Due to production process limitations, effective heat insulation cannot be carried out at the open part, resulting in a large amount of cold energy being directly exchanged with the air for a long time, increasing energy consumption, prolonging the ice-making production cycle and increasing production costs. Large iron salvage devices are used to salvage the finished ice bottles, and the ice bottles are easily damaged during the salvage process, resulting in an increase in loss costs. Since the ice pools of the existing ice-making systems are open-type, the evaporation of brine easily causes corrosion of equipment such as workshops and overhead cranes, shortening the service life of workshops and equipment and increasing investment costs. When ice bottles are placed in the underground brine pool, since the density of brine is greater than the density of the fresh water in the ice bottles, the ice bottles can only float on the water surface in large quantities. To submerge the ice bottles in the brine, cement boards weighing hundreds of kilograms must be hoisted to press the ice bottles under the brine, which is complicated to operate and easily causes damage to the ice bottles. The production of block ice and ice bottles usually can only be carried out separately, cannot share the same production line, and a large number of steel molds need to be built, increasing investment costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, in order to solve the problems in the technical background, the present invention provides an energy-efficient modular ice-making system and its control method. The specific technical solutions are as follows:

[0004] An energy-efficient modular ice-making system includes a refrigeration unit, mobile ice pools and related pipelines. The refrigeration unit is connected to the mobile ice pools through the related pipelines. There are at least two mobile ice pools, namely a first ice pool and a second ice pool. By pumping the brine in the mobile ice pools into the refrigeration unit for circulation, effective heat exchange and transfer of cold energy are realized. The related pipelines include a main return water pipeline and a main water supply pipeline. The brine in the high-temperature area of the mobile ice pool is pumped by a water pump and enters the main return water pipeline. After entering the refrigeration unit through the main return water pipeline for heat exchange of cold energy, it becomes low-temperature brine and flows out from the main water supply pipeline. After being controlled by the main water supply pipeline and corresponding valves, it enters the required mobile ice pool for circulation.

[0005] Furthermore, an ice bottle entrance is opened on the top of the mobile ice pool, and a steel cover and a locking device are provided at the entrance, so as to place the ice bottle filled with water into the mobile ice pool. Meanwhile, the steel cover is used to overcome the upward buoyancy caused by the density difference between the ice bottle and the brine.

[0006] Furthermore, two ice bottle outlets with an area of ​​about 0.5 m2 are arranged below the other end of the ice pool, and the ice bottle outlets are provided with steel covers and locking and sealing devices.

[0007] Furthermore, two water inlet steel pipes are provided at the upper end of the mobile ice pool along the length direction. The upstream of the water inlet steel pipe is connected to the water outlet main of the refrigeration unit after passing through the water inlet valve, and the downstream extends into the inner cavity of the mobile ice pool. The part of the water inlet steel pipe located in the mobile ice pool is evenly opened with small holes along both horizontal sides, so that the brine can be directly and evenly sprayed onto the ice bottles after entering the mobile ice pool.

[0008] Furthermore, a return water steel pipe with an inner diameter of 15 cm is arranged in the middle of the bottom of the mobile ice pool along the long direction. The return water steel pipe is connected to the main return water pipeline of the refrigeration unit after a valve at the downstream, and extends into the inner cavity of the mobile ice pool at the upstream. The return water steel pipe is evenly punched on both sides along the horizontal direction, so that the relatively high-temperature brine in the mobile ice pool can evenly enter the return water steel pipe, enter the return water main pipe after passing through the return water valve, and finally enter the refrigeration unit to implement heat exchange.

[0009] Furthermore, the outer dimensions of the mobile ice pool are approximately 8 meters long, 2.45 meters wide, and 2.45 meters high, in the shape of a rectangular container. The mobile ice pool is composed of an outer layer, a middle layer, and an inner layer from the outside to the inside. The inner layer uses a thicker steel plate as the main body of the ice pool, and the outer layer uses a thinner steel plate as a protective outer shell. There are no metal parts directly connected between the inner and outer layers to avoid rapid heat transfer. A 20-centimeter interlayer, namely the middle layer, is reserved at the bottom, around, and top between the inner and outer layers. Strong and heat-insulating hardwood materials are used in the interlayer for local support and load-bearing, and the remaining gaps are all tightly sprayed with polyurethane.

[0010] Furthermore, the inlet area of ​​the ice bottle is about 1 m2.

[0011] When installing a mobile ice pool, a slope base with a slope of about 10° must be set up. Place one side of the ice bottle outlet under the slope to facilitate the ice bottle to slide out.

[0012] A control method for a highly efficient and energy-saving modular ice-making system comprises the following steps:

[0013] Step 1: Turn off the return water pump of the refrigeration unit, keep the first mobile ice pool empty, open the ice bottle inlet, and close the ice bottle outlet; turn on the ice bottle inlet of the second mobile ice pool, open the ice bottle outlet, and seal it; add appropriate amount of industrial brine to each mobile ice pool, put 5,000 ice bottles filled with clean water in the first mobile ice pool, close the ice bottle inlet and lock it;

[0014] Step 2: Start the return water pump, start the refrigeration unit, control the states of the corresponding inlet and outlet valves, circulate the brine in the second mobile ice pool into the first mobile ice pool, and the amount of brine should be enough to immerse the ice bottles; adjust and control the states of the corresponding valves to make the brine circulate in the low temperature zone of the first mobile ice pool, the high temperature zone of the ice pool, the return water steel pipe, the main return water pipeline, the refrigeration unit, the main water outlet pipeline, the water inlet steel pipe, etc. in sequence, so as to gradually cool the ice bottles in the first mobile ice pool to the required temperature;

[0015] Step 3, add 5000 ice bottles filled with clean water into the vacant second moving ice pool, close the ice bottle entrance of the second moving ice pool and lock it;

[0016] Step 4: After the temperature of the ice bottles in the first moving ice pool drops to a predetermined temperature and the second moving ice pool is filled with ice bottles, adjust and control the corresponding valve status so that all the brine in the first moving ice pool circulates to the second moving ice pool, drain the brine in the first moving ice pool, and only keep the frozen ice bottles; open the ice bottle outlet at the lower end, and the produced ice bottles can slide out by themselves.

[0017] The above technical solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The present invention adopts a fully enclosed and fully insulated mobile ice pool design, which effectively isolates the loss of cold through a multi-layer insulation structure. The modular container-type ice pool can be flexibly relocated, does not require a fixed factory building and underground construction, and does not require the use of large machinery such as cranes, greatly reducing infrastructure costs and being able to quickly respond to market changes. The circulation system of the water inlet steel pipe spraying evenly and the bottom return water pipe efficiently collecting water improves the cold exchange efficiency. The valve switching allows double or multiple ice pools to operate alternately, and can continuously produce ice bottles, thereby increasing the utilization rate of the production line. The inclined outlet at the bottom of the ice pool cooperates with gravity to slide out the ice, completely avoiding damage caused by mechanical salvage and achieving zero loss. At the same time, the mobile ice pool also has the function of an ice storage, which reduces the cost of transporting the finished ice bottles back and forth and avoids quality degradation during storage in the ice storage. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a high-efficiency and energy-saving modular ice-making system and a control method thereof of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 It is a front structural schematic diagram of a mobile ice pool of a highly efficient and energy-saving modular ice-making system and a control method thereof of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 Front structural schematic diagram of the mobile ice pool of an energy-efficient modular ice-making system and its control method according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 Structural schematic diagram of the water inlet steel pipe of an energy-efficient modular ice-making system and its control method according to the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 Cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the mobile ice pool of an energy-efficient modular ice-making system and its control method according to the present invention;

[0024] In the figure: 1 - refrigeration unit; 2 - main return water pipeline; 3 - main water outlet pipeline; 4 - first mobile ice pool; 5 - second mobile ice pool; 6 - water inlet steel pipe; 7 - water outlet steel pipe; 8 - ice bottle outlet; 9 - ice bottle inlet; 10 - small hole; 11 - outer layer; 12 - interlayer; 13 - inner layer. Specific embodiments

[0025] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0026] Example 1, see Figures 1 - 5 An energy-efficient modular ice-making system as shown, including a refrigeration unit 1, a mobile ice pool and related pipelines. The refrigeration unit 1 is connected to the mobile ice pool through related pipelines. There are at least two mobile ice pools, namely the first mobile ice pool 4 and the second mobile ice pool 5. By pumping the brine in the mobile ice pool into the refrigeration unit 1 for circulation, effective heat exchange and transfer are realized. The related pipelines include a main return water pipeline 2 and a main water outlet pipeline 3. The brine in the high-temperature area in the mobile ice pool is pumped by a water pump and enters the main return water pipeline 2, enters the refrigeration unit 1 through the main return water pipeline 2 for heat exchange, becomes low-temperature brine and flows out from the main water outlet pipeline 3, and enters the required mobile ice pool after being controlled by the main water outlet pipeline 3 and corresponding valves.

[0027] Embodiment 2. Based on the above embodiment, an ice bottle inlet 9 is provided above the mobile ice pool. The inlet is provided with a steel lid and a locking device, etc., for putting the ice bottle filled with water into the mobile ice pool. At the same time, the steel lid is used to overcome the upward buoyancy caused by the density difference between the ice bottle and the brine. At the lower end of the other end of the ice pool, 2 ice bottle outlets 8 with an area of about 0.5 ㎡ are provided. Steel lids and locking and sealing devices are provided at the ice bottle outlet 8. Along the length direction at the upper end inside the mobile ice pool, two water inlet steel pipes 6 are provided. The upstream of the water inlet steel pipe 6 is connected to the main water outlet pipe of the refrigeration unit 1 after passing through a water inlet valve, and the downstream extends into the inner cavity of the ice pool. The part of the water inlet steel pipe 6 located inside the mobile ice pool is evenly provided with small holes 10 on both horizontal sides, so that the brine directly and evenly sprays onto the ice bottles after entering the mobile ice pool. In the middle of the bottom inside the mobile ice pool, a return water steel pipe with an inner diameter of 15 cm is provided along the long direction. The downstream of the return water steel pipe is connected to the main return water pipeline 2 of the refrigeration unit 1 after passing through a valve, and the upstream extends into the inner cavity of the mobile ice pool. The return water steel pipe is evenly punched on both horizontal sides, so that the relatively high-temperature brine inside the mobile ice pool evenly enters the return water steel pipe, enters the return water main pipe after passing through the return water valve, and finally enters the refrigeration unit 1 to carry out heat exchange. The size of the mobile ice pool is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped shape similar to a container with a length of 8 m, a width of 2.45 m, and a height of 2.45 m. The mobile ice pool is composed of an outer layer 11, a middle layer, and an inner layer 13 from the outside to the inside. The inner layer 13 uses a relatively thick steel plate as the main body of the ice pool, and the outer layer 11 uses a relatively thin steel plate as the protective shell. There is no direct connection of metal parts between the inner and outer layers 11 to avoid rapid heat transfer. A 20-cm sandwich layer 12, that is, the middle layer, is reserved at the bottom, around, and top between the inner layer 13 and the outer layer 11. The sandwich layer 12 uses a strong and heat-insulating hardwood material for local support and load-bearing, and the remaining gaps are all tightly sprayed with polyurethane. The area of the ice bottle inlet 9 is about 1 ㎡.

[0028] A control method for an energy-efficient modular ice-making system includes the following steps:

[0029] Step 1: Keep the refrigeration unit 1 and the return water pump in the closed state. Keep the first mobile ice pool empty, keep the ice bottle inlet 9 in the open position, keep the ice bottle outlet 8 in the closed and sealed state, keep the ice bottle inlet 9 of the second mobile ice pool in the open position, and keep the ice bottle outlet 8 in the sealed state. Add an appropriate amount of industrial brine into each mobile ice pool. Put 5000 ice bottles filled with clear water into the first mobile ice pool, and close the ice bottle inlet 9;

[0030] Step 2: Start the return water pump and start the refrigeration unit 1. Control the states of the corresponding inlet and outlet valves, and circulate all the brine in the second mobile ice pool into the first mobile ice pool; Adjust and control the states of the corresponding valves to make the brine circulate in the low-temperature area of the first mobile ice pool, the high-temperature area of the ice pool, the return water steel pipe, the main return water pipeline 2, the refrigeration unit 1, the main water outlet pipeline 3, the water inlet steel pipe 6, etc. in sequence, so as to gradually cool the ice bottles in the first mobile ice pool to the required temperature;

[0031] Step 3: Pour 5,000 ice bottles filled with clear water into the empty second mobile ice pool, close the ice bottle inlet 9 of the second mobile ice pool and lock it.

[0032] Step 4: After the temperature of the ice bottles in the first mobile ice pool drops to the predetermined temperature and the second mobile ice pool completes the filling of ice bottles, adjust and control the states of the corresponding valves to circulate all the brine in the first mobile ice pool to the second mobile ice pool, empty the brine in the first mobile ice pool, and only keep the frozen ice bottles. Open the lower ice bottle outlet 8, and the produced ice bottles can slide out by themselves.

[0033] In this embodiment, the ice making system is at least equipped with a set of refrigeration units 1, 2 mobile ice pools and a set of related pipelines and control switches. Multiple sets of refrigeration units 1 or multiple mobile ice pools can be configured according to the production capacity requirements, and the corresponding brine pipelines and control switches can be matched. The number of refrigeration units 1 or the number of mobile ice pools can be quickly increased or decreased according to market and other demands.

[0034] Embodiment 3: This embodiment takes a set of refrigeration units 1, 3 mobile ice pools and the corresponding brine pipelines and control switches as an example. The refrigeration units 1 and the 3 mobile ice pools should be assembled in parallel. Among them, when installing the 3 mobile ice pools, a 10° slope is preset under the ice pools. Place the upper part (set the inlet side) of the ice pool above one side of the slope, and place the lower part (set the outlet side) of the ice pool below one side of the slope. Ensure that the finished ice bottles can slide out of the ice pool by themselves. Connect the refrigeration units 1, the inlet and return water main pipes, the inlet steel pipe 6, the outlet steel pipe 7 and the corresponding control valves in a sealed manner. Install a return water pump with a flow rate of not less than 100 cubic meters in the return water main pipe to ensure sufficient and timely heat exchange to improve the energy utilization efficiency.

[0035] The present invention first loads ice bottles into the mobile ice pool and then injects brine, without covering with a large cement cover; after ice making is completed, the ice bottles slowly slide out along the outlet, without the need for salvage operations, and it is not easy to cause damage to the ice bottles. Therefore, the loss rate of defective products is close to 0. When objective situations such as factory building demolition and market conditions change, resulting in the need to adjust the business location, the connections of each module can be removed and then hoisted and transported separately, quickly completing relocation and reconstruction. It can support open-air production and can be assembled and produced when the power supply conditions are met. When receiving an order for block ice, the ice bottle production line can be directly switched to a block ice production line. The production method is to first inject 20 cubic meters of industrial brine into the ice pool, immerse a cylindrical plastic bag with a volume of about 50 liters into the brine in the ice pool, then directly inject water and tie a knot. After ice making is completed, the ice is taken out directly from the ice bottle outlet 8 according to the ice bottle production method.

[0036] The present invention adopts a fully enclosed and fully insulated mobile ice pool design. Through a multi-layer heat insulation structure, the loss of cold quantity is effectively isolated. The modular container-type ice pool can be flexibly relocated without the need for a fixed factory building and underground construction, greatly reducing the infrastructure cost. It can quickly respond to market changes. The circulating system with uniform spraying by the inlet steel pipe 6 and efficient collection by the bottom return water steel pipe improves the cold quantity exchange efficiency. By switching valves, alternative operation of double ice pools or multiple ice pools can be realized, enabling continuous production of ice bottles and increasing the utilization rate of the production line. The inclined outlet at the bottom of the ice pool cooperates with gravity to slide out the ice, completely avoiding damage caused by mechanical salvage and achieving zero loss.

[0037] The basic principles and main features of the present invention have been described above. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited by the above embodiments. What is described in the above embodiments and the specification only illustrates the principles of the present invention. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, the present invention will have various changes and improvements, and these changes and improvements all fall within the scope of the present invention claimed. The scope of the invention claimed is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A highly efficient and energy-saving modular ice-making system, characterized in that: It includes a refrigeration unit, a mobile ice pool and related pipelines. The refrigeration unit is connected to the mobile ice pool through related pipelines. The mobile ice pool is provided with at least two, namely a first ice pool and a second ice pool. By extracting brine in the mobile ice pool into the refrigeration unit for circulation, effective exchange and transfer of cold energy is achieved. The related pipelines include a main return water pipeline and a main outlet water pipeline. The brine in the high-temperature area of ​​the mobile ice pool is extracted by a water pump and enters the main return water pipeline, and enters the refrigeration unit through the main return water pipeline for cold energy exchange, and becomes low-temperature brine flowing out from the main outlet water pipeline, and enters the required mobile ice pool for circulation after being controlled by the main outlet water pipeline and corresponding valves.

2. The energy-efficient modular ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: An ice bottle entrance is provided on the top of the mobile ice pool, and a steel cover is provided on the entrance to place the ice bottle filled with water into the mobile ice pool. Meanwhile, the steel cover is used to overcome the upward buoyancy caused by the density difference between the ice bottle and the salt water.

3. The energy-efficient modular ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two ice bottle outlets with an area of ​​about 0.5 m2 are arranged below the other end of the ice pool, and steel covers and locking and sealing devices are arranged at the ice bottle outlets.

4. The energy-efficient modular ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two water inlet steel pipes are provided at the upper end of the mobile ice pool along the length direction. The upstream of the water inlet steel pipe is connected to the water outlet main pipe of the refrigeration unit after passing through the water inlet valve, and the downstream extends into the inner cavity of the ice pool. The part of the water inlet steel pipe located in the mobile ice pool is evenly opened with small holes along both sides horizontally, so that the brine can be directly and evenly sprayed onto the ice bottles after entering the mobile ice pool.

5. The energy-efficient modular ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the middle of the bottom of the mobile ice pool, a return water steel pipe with an inner diameter of 15 cm is arranged along the long direction. The downstream of the return water steel pipe is connected to the main return water pipeline of the refrigeration unit after passing through a valve, and the upstream extends into the inner cavity of the mobile ice pool. The return water steel pipe is evenly perforated on both sides along the horizontal direction, so that the relatively high-temperature brine in the mobile ice pool can evenly enter the return water steel pipe, enter the return water main pipe after passing through the return water valve, and finally enter the refrigeration unit to implement heat exchange.

6. The energy-efficient modular ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mobile ice pool is approximately 8 meters long, 2.45 meters wide, and 2.45 meters high in size, similar to a container. The mobile ice pool consists of an outer layer, a middle layer, and an inner layer from the outside to the inside. The inner layer uses a thicker steel plate as the main body of the ice pool, and the outer layer uses a thinner steel plate as a protective shell. There are no metal parts directly connected between the inner and outer layers to avoid rapid heat transfer. A 20-centimeter interlayer, namely the middle layer, is reserved at the bottom, around, and top between the inner and outer layers. Strong and heat-insulating hardwood materials are used in the interlayer for local support, and the remaining gaps are all tightly sprayed with polyurethane.

7. The energy-efficient modular ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ice bottle entrance area is about 1 m2.

8. A control method for a modular ice-making system with high efficiency and energy saving, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: Turn off the return water pump of the refrigeration unit, keep the first mobile ice pool empty, open the ice bottle inlet, and close the ice bottle outlet; turn on the ice bottle inlet of the second mobile ice pool, open the ice bottle outlet, and close the ice bottle outlet; add appropriate amount of industrial brine to each mobile ice pool, put 5,000 ice bottles filled with clean water into the first mobile ice pool, close the ice bottle inlet and lock it; Step 2: Start the return water pump, start the refrigeration unit, control the states of the corresponding inlet and outlet valves, circulate the brine in the second mobile ice pool into the first mobile ice pool, and the amount of brine should be enough to immerse the ice bottles; adjust and control the states of the corresponding valves to make the brine circulate in the low temperature zone of the first mobile ice pool, the high temperature zone of the ice pool, the return water steel pipe, the main return water pipeline, the refrigeration unit, the main outlet water pipeline, the inlet water steel pipe, etc. in sequence, so as to gradually cool the ice bottles in the first mobile ice pool to the required temperature; Step 3, add 5000 ice bottles filled with clean water into the vacant second moving ice pool, close the ice bottle entrance of the second moving ice pool and lock it; Step 4: After the temperature of the ice bottles in the first moving ice pool drops to a predetermined temperature and the second moving ice pool is filled with ice bottles, adjust and control the corresponding valve status so that all the brine in the first moving ice pool circulates to the second moving ice pool, drain the brine in the first moving ice pool, and only keep the frozen ice bottles; open the ice bottle outlet at the lower end, and the produced ice bottles can slide out by themselves. Step 5: Keep the return water pump and refrigeration unit running to allow the brine to circulate in the low-temperature zone of the second mobile ice pool, the high-temperature zone of the ice pool, the return water steel pipe, the main return water pipeline, the refrigeration unit, the main outlet water pipeline, the inlet water pipe, etc. in sequence, thereby achieving ice production in the second mobile ice pool.

Images