Energy-saving evaporator for ice maker and control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses an energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker and a control method thereof, and relates to the technical field of ice-making equipment. The energy-saving evaporator for the ice maker comprises an evaporator main body and an ice block forming box. The evaporator main body comprises at least two independent heat exchange areas, namely an inner zone refrigerant coil and an outer zone refrigerant coil. The ice block forming box comprises an inner zone forming box corresponding to the inner zone refrigerant coil and an outer zone forming box corresponding to the outer zone refrigerant coil. The energy-saving evaporator for the ice maker divides the evaporator main body into the inner zone refrigerant coil and the outer zone refrigerant coil, two independent heat exchange areas, and cooperates with a controller to preferentially supply liquid to the inner zone to form ice nuclei and then supply liquid to the outer zone, so that precise refrigeration in stages is realized in the ice-making process, the problem of slow ice layer formation and energy waste caused by overall liquid supply of a traditional single heat exchange area evaporator is solved, and rapid ice removal is facilitated.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ice-making equipment, in particular to an energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker and a control method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] An ice maker is a kind of refrigeration equipment widely used in commercial, industrial and household fields, and its core component evaporator realizes ice block production through heat exchange between refrigerant and water. The traditional ice maker evaporator usually adopts a single heat exchange region design, that is, a unified refrigerant coil uniformly cools the entire ice block forming box to realize water freezing into ice. This design relies on the continuous flow of refrigerant during the entire ice-making period to ensure that the ice block gradually forms and reaches the required thickness.

[0003] However, the ice maker evaporator in the prior art has the following disadvantages:

[0004] Firstly, due to the adoption of a single heat exchange region, the refrigerant is uniformly distributed to the entire forming box at the initial ice-making stage, resulting in energy dispersion, slow formation of the initial ice block region, prolonged ice-making period and increased energy consumption.

[0005] Secondly, this unified refrigerant coil cooling method is prone to consume a large amount of heat energy to loosen the entire ice layer during the ice removal process, usually at the stage of ice layer formation inside the ice grid, and further increases the energy consumption, and is prone to cause long ice removal time. SUMMARY

[0006] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present application provides an energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker and a control method thereof, which divides the evaporator body into two independent heat exchange regions, namely an inner zone refrigerant coil and an outer zone refrigerant coil, and cooperates with the controller to control the logic of preferentially supplying liquid to the inner zone to form ice nuclei and then supplying liquid to the outer zone, to realize precise cooling in stages during the ice-making process. This design solves the problem of slow ice layer formation and energy waste caused by the overall liquid supply of the traditional single heat exchange region evaporator, speeds up the formation of the ice layer at the initial ice-making stage, reduces the energy consumption per unit of ice-making capacity, and only needs to remove the ice nuclei region to promote overall ice removal, which is also conducive to achieving rapid ice removal.

[0007] To achieve the above purpose, the present application realizes the following technical scheme: an energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker, comprising an evaporator body and an ice block forming box, the evaporator body comprising at least two independent heat exchange regions, namely an inner zone refrigerant coil and an outer zone refrigerant coil.

[0008] The ice cube forming box comprises an inner zone forming box corresponding to the inner zone refrigerant coil and an outer zone forming box corresponding to the outer zone refrigerant coil.

[0009] The energy-saving evaporator further comprises:

[0010] A controller is configured to supply refrigerant to the inner zone refrigerant coil preferentially during an ice-making period, and switch to supply refrigerant to the outer zone refrigerant coil after ice nuclei are formed;

[0011] A refrigerant distributor is connected to the inner zone refrigerant coil and the outer zone refrigerant coil through pipes and controlled by the controller.

[0012] Preferably, a micro-channel flat tube cavity is formed in the inner wall of the inner zone forming box, which is in communication with the inner zone inlet pipe of the inner zone refrigerant coil, for increasing refrigeration contact area and heat exchange efficiency.

[0013] Preferably, a hydrophilic coating is arranged on the inner surface of the outer zone forming box, for reducing the adhesion of ice layer and facilitating subsequent ice removal.

[0014] Preferably, a first electromagnetic valve and a second electromagnetic valve are arranged on the refrigerant distributor, the first electromagnetic valve is arranged on the inner zone inlet pipe and used to control the refrigerant flow of the inner zone refrigerant coil, and the second electromagnetic valve is arranged on the outer zone inlet pipe and used to control the refrigerant flow of the outer zone refrigerant coil; a condenser connecting pipe is further arranged on the refrigerant distributor and used to connect the condenser.

[0015] Preferably, a first branch and a second branch are further arranged on the refrigerant distributor, the first branch is in communication with the inner zone inlet pipe, the second branch is in communication with the outer zone inlet pipe, a third electromagnetic valve is arranged on the first branch, and a fourth electromagnetic valve is arranged on the second branch; the first branch and the second branch are used to pass hot refrigerant and heat the inner zone forming box and the outer zone forming box during ice removal.

[0016] Preferably, the refrigerant distributor is connected to the condenser through the condenser connecting pipe, the condenser is connected to the compressor, the compressor is connected to the four-way reversing valve, the four-way reversing valve is connected to the evaporator body, and a refrigeration cycle system is formed; the inner zone outlet pipe and the outer zone inlet pipe are arranged on the evaporator body, the inner zone outlet pipe and the outer zone inlet pipe are connected to the inner zone refrigerant coil and the outer zone refrigerant coil respectively, the inner zone outlet pipe and the outer zone inlet pipe are connected to the four-way reversing valve, and the four-way reversing valve is used to switch the flow direction of the refrigerant, so that the refrigerant flows from the condenser to the evaporator body during ice making, and hot refrigerant flows directly from the compressor to the evaporator body during ice removal.

[0017] Preferably, the energy-saving evaporator further comprises an inner zone temperature sensor arranged on the inner zone forming box and an outer zone temperature sensor arranged on the outer zone forming box, and the inner zone temperature sensor and the outer zone temperature sensor are both signal-connected with the controller; the controller is configured to control the liquid supply strategy of the refrigerant distributor based on the temperature values of the inner zone temperature sensor and the outer zone temperature sensor.

[0018] Preferably, the controller is configured to perform gradient refrigeration control.

[0019] In the initial ice-making stage, the controller controls the refrigerant distributor to preferentially supply liquid to the inner zone refrigerant coil, so that the inner zone forming box is rapidly cooled to form ice nuclei.

[0020] When the inner zone temperature sensor detects that the temperature is lower than a first set value, the controller controls the refrigerant distributor to reduce the liquid supply to the inner zone refrigerant coil and increase the liquid supply to the outer zone refrigerant coil, so that the ice layer of the outer zone forming box is thickened.

[0021] When the outer zone temperature sensor detects that the temperature is lower than a second set value, the controller controls the refrigerant distributor to stop supplying liquid.

[0022] Preferably, the controller is further configured to control the four-way reversing valve to switch the refrigerant flow direction when defrosting, so that hot refrigerant enters the inner zone refrigerant coil and the outer zone refrigerant coil through the first branch and the second branch to heat the inner zone forming box and the outer zone forming box; wherein the controller preferentially starts the first branch to heat the inner zone forming box to promote the loosening of the ice nuclei, and then starts the second branch to heat the outer zone forming box, so as to realize energy-saving and efficient defrosting.

[0023] The second aspect of the present application discloses a control method of an energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker, and the control method comprises the following steps: step S1: in the initial ice-making stage, the controller controls the refrigerant distributor to preferentially supply liquid to the inner zone refrigerant coil, so that the inner zone forming box is rapidly cooled to form ice nuclei.

[0024] Step S2: when the inner zone temperature sensor detects that the temperature is lower than a first set value, the controller controls the refrigerant distributor to reduce the liquid supply to the inner zone refrigerant coil and increase the liquid supply to the outer zone refrigerant coil, so that the ice layer of the outer zone forming box is thickened.

[0025] Step S3: when the outer zone temperature sensor detects that the temperature is lower than a second set value, the controller controls the refrigerant distributor to stop supplying liquid, and controls the four-way reversing valve to switch the refrigerant flow direction, so that hot refrigerant enters the inner zone refrigerant coil and the outer zone refrigerant coil through the first branch and the second branch to perform defrosting.

[0026] Step S4: after the defrosting is completed, the four-way reversing valve is reset, and the next ice-making cycle is started.

[0027] The technical effects and advantages of the present application are as follows:

[0028] 1. The energy-saving evaporator used in this ice maker divides the main body of the evaporator into two independent heat exchange areas: an inner zone refrigerant coil and an outer zone refrigerant coil. Combined with the controller's control logic of prioritizing liquid supply to the inner zone to form ice nuclei before supplying liquid to the outer zone, it achieves precise staged cooling in the ice-making process. This design solves the problem of slow ice formation and energy waste caused by the overall liquid supply of the traditional single heat exchange zone evaporator. It accelerates the ice formation speed in the early stage of ice making, reduces the energy consumption per unit of ice production, and only requires de-icing the ice nucleus area to promote overall de-icing, which also facilitates rapid de-icing.

[0029] 2. The energy-saving evaporator used in this ice maker features a microchannel flat tube cavity in the inner forming box that increases the cooling contact area and further accelerates the formation of ice nuclei in the inner zone. The hydrophilic coating in the outer forming box reduces the adhesion of the ice layer and lowers the energy consumption during the de-icing stage. Combined with the zoned liquid supply logic, these two features enable layered de-icing. The outer ice layer usually detaches quickly, and its own gravity is applied to the ice nuclei in the inner zone, which helps to de-ic the ice quickly, reduces the overall heating time, and achieves the effect of energy-saving and efficient de-icing.

[0030] 3. The ice maker uses an energy-saving evaporator, a refrigerant distributor with multi-electrode control, and real-time feedback from internal and external temperature sensors. This allows the ice-making and de-icing processes to be dynamically adjusted according to actual temperature requirements. This intelligent control avoids ineffective liquid supply and overheating, shortens the ice-making and de-icing cycle, and improves the ice maker's continuous working capacity and stability. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a front view of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rear side of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is the front view of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 3 Enlarged view of section A in the middle;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the microchannel flat tube structure of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the evaporator body of the present application;

[0038] Figure 7 Fig. 2 is a top view of the present application;

[0039] Figure 8 Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the control logic of the ice making and ice removing process of the present application.

[0040] In the figure: 10, evaporator body; 11, inner zone refrigerant coil; 111, inner zone inlet pipe; 112, inner zone outlet pipe; 12, outer zone refrigerant coil; 121, outer zone inlet pipe; 122, outer zone outlet pipe; 20, ice block forming box; 21, inner zone forming box; 211, micro-channel flat tube cavity; 212, inner zone temperature sensor; 22, outer zone forming box; 221, outer zone temperature sensor; 222, hydrophilic coating; 30, refrigerant distributor; 31, condenser connecting pipe; 32, first electromagnetic valve; 33, second electromagnetic valve; 34, first branch; 341, third electromagnetic valve; 35, second branch; 351, fourth electromagnetic valve; 40, controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0042] The present application is to solve the problem that the prior art uses a single heat exchange zone, and the refrigerant is uniformly distributed to the entire forming box at the initial ice making stage, resulting in energy dispersion, slow formation of the initial ice block area, prolonged ice making period and increased energy consumption. The present application also solves the problem that in the prior art, the overall ice layer and ice grid are frozen after the ice layer is formed in the ice grid, and a large amount of heat energy is consumed to loosen the entire ice layer during the ice removing process, further increasing the energy consumption, and easily leading to long ice removing time.

[0043] The present embodiment discloses an energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker, according to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 to Figure 8 As shown in the drawings, the energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker comprises an evaporator body 10, an ice block forming box 20, a refrigerant distributor 30 and a controller 40; wherein the evaporator body 10 cooperates with the ice block forming box 20 to realize ice block forming, the refrigerant distributor 30 is used to control the flow direction and flow rate of the refrigerant, and the controller 40 is used to overall control the entire ice making and ice removing process.

[0044] According to the accompanying drawings Figure 3 to Figure 6As shown, the evaporator body 10 includes at least two independent heat exchange regions, namely the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and the outer zone refrigerant coil 12; the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 is connected with the inner zone inlet pipe 111 and the inner zone outlet pipe 112, and the outer zone refrigerant coil 12 is connected with the outer zone inlet pipe 121 and the outer zone outlet pipe 122; through the independent coil design, the partition refrigeration control, the rapid ice making, the easy ice removal and the energy saving can be realized. Further, the ice block forming box 20 includes the inner zone forming box 21 corresponding to the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and the outer zone forming box 22 corresponding to the outer zone refrigerant coil 12; the inner zone forming box 21 and the outer zone forming box 22 are both used for containing water and forming ice blocks under the refrigeration of the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and the outer zone refrigerant coil 12, and the structural design of the two is respectively adapted to the heat exchange characteristics of the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and the outer zone refrigerant coil 12.

[0045] According to the accompanying drawings Figure 3 and the accompanying drawings Figure 5 As shown, the inner wall of the inner zone forming box 21 is provided with the micro-channel flat tube cavity 211, and the micro-channel flat tube cavity 211 is in communication with the inner zone inlet pipe 111 of the inner zone refrigerant coil 11; the micro-channel flat tube cavity 211 adopts the multi-channel parallel design, increases the contact area of the refrigerant and the inner zone forming box 21, accelerates the heat exchange speed, and makes the water in the inner zone forming box 21 rapidly cooled and form ice nucleus. Further, as shown in the accompanying drawings Figure 4 The inner surface of the outer zone forming box 22 is provided with the hydrophilic coating 222, which is made of nano ceramic material, can reduce the adhesion between the ice layer and the surface of the outer zone forming box 22, and can make the ice block more easily fall off in the subsequent ice removal process, that is, the ice nucleus position is appropriately heated to realize the ice removal, and the ice removal energy consumption is reduced.

[0046] According to the accompanying drawings Figure 2 , the accompanying drawings Figure 6 and the accompanying drawings Figure 7As shown, the refrigerant distributor 30 is connected with the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and the outer zone refrigerant coil 12 through pipes respectively and is controlled by the controller 40; the refrigerant distributor 30 is provided with a first electromagnetic valve 32 and a second electromagnetic valve 33, the first electromagnetic valve 32 is arranged on the inner zone inlet pipe 111 and is used for accurately controlling the refrigerant flow of the inner zone refrigerant coil 11, the second electromagnetic valve 33 is arranged on the outer zone inlet pipe 121 and is used for accurately controlling the refrigerant flow of the outer zone refrigerant coil 12; the refrigerant distributor 30 is further provided with a condenser connecting pipe 31, which is used for connecting the condenser and providing low-temperature refrigerant for the whole system. Further, the refrigerant distributor 30 is further provided with a first branch 34 and a second branch 35, the first branch 34 is communicated with the inner zone inlet pipe 111, the second branch 35 is communicated with the outer zone inlet pipe 121, the first branch 34 is provided with a third electromagnetic valve 341, and the second branch 35 is provided with a fourth electromagnetic valve 351; in the ice removing stage, the first branch 34 and the second branch 35 can be connected with hot refrigerant to directly heat the inner zone forming box 21 and the outer zone forming box 22 and accelerate the separation of the ice layer and the ice block forming box 20.

[0047] The refrigerant distributor 30 is connected with the condenser through the condenser connecting pipe 31, the condenser is connected with the compressor, the compressor is connected with the four-way reversing valve, the four-way reversing valve is connected with the evaporator main body 10, and a complete refrigeration cycle system is formed; wherein the inner zone outlet pipe 112 and the outer zone outlet pipe 122 are connected with the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and the outer zone refrigerant coil 12 respectively and are connected with the four-way reversing valve; the core function of the four-way reversing valve is to switch the flow direction of the refrigerant, so that the refrigerant flows from the condenser to the evaporator main body 10 in the ice making stage to realize the refrigeration effect, and the hot refrigerant flows directly from the compressor to the evaporator main body 10 in the ice removing stage to realize the heating ice removing.

[0048] According to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 and the accompanying drawings Figure 7 As shown, the energy-saving evaporator further comprises an inner zone temperature sensor 212 arranged on the inner zone forming box 21 and an outer zone temperature sensor 221 arranged on the outer zone forming box 22, and the inner zone temperature sensor 212 and the outer zone temperature sensor 221 are signal connected with the controller 40; the inner zone temperature sensor 212 can monitor the temperature of the inner zone forming box 21 in real time, the outer zone temperature sensor 221 can monitor the temperature of the outer zone forming box 22 in real time, and both of them transmit the temperature signals to the controller 40 to provide data basis for the liquid supply strategy of the controller 40.

[0049] According to the accompanying drawings Figure 8As shown, the controller 40 is configured to perform gradient refrigeration control: in the initial ice-making stage, the refrigerant distributor 30 is controlled to preferentially supply liquid to the inner zone refrigerant coil 11, at this time the first electromagnetic valve 32 is fully open and the second electromagnetic valve 33 is closed, so that the water in the inner zone forming box 21 is rapidly cooled to form ice nuclei; when the inner zone temperature sensor 212 detects that the temperature is lower than the first set value, the first set value is usually -5℃, and the specific temperature value can be set according to actual needs, the controller 40 controls the first electromagnetic valve 32 to close and the second electromagnetic valve 33 to open, reduces the liquid supply to the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and increases the liquid supply to the outer zone refrigerant coil 12, so that the ice layer in the outer zone forming box 22 gradually thickens; when the outer zone temperature sensor 221 detects that the temperature is lower than the second set value, the second set value is usually -10℃, and the specific temperature value can be set according to actual needs, the controller 40 controls the first electromagnetic valve 32 and the second electromagnetic valve 33 to be closed, and stops the liquid supply, completing the ice-making stage.

[0050] According to the accompanying drawings Figure 8 As shown, the controller 40 is further configured to control the four-way reversing valve to switch the refrigerant flow direction when defrosting, so that hot refrigerant enters the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and the outer zone refrigerant coil 12 through the first branch 34 and the second branch 35; in the specific defrosting control, the controller 40 preferentially opens the third electromagnetic valve 341, starts the first branch 34 to heat the inner zone forming box 21, promotes the ice nuclei to loosen, opens the fourth electromagnetic valve 351 after 3-5 seconds, starts the second branch 35 to heat the outer zone forming box 22, realizes layered defrosting, and the outer ice layer is usually quickly separated, and its own gravity is applied to the inner ice nuclei, thereby helping to quickly defrost, reducing the overall heating time, and achieving the effect of energy-saving and efficient defrosting.

[0051] The second aspect of the present application discloses a control method of an energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker, and the control method comprises the following steps: step S1: in the initial ice-making stage, the refrigerant distributor 30 is controlled to preferentially supply liquid to the inner zone refrigerant coil 11, so that the inner zone forming box 21 is rapidly cooled to form ice nuclei;

[0052] Step S2: when the inner zone temperature sensor 212 detects that the temperature is lower than the first set value, the refrigerant distributor 30 is controlled to reduce the liquid supply to the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and increase the liquid supply to the outer zone refrigerant coil 12, so that the ice layer in the outer zone forming box 22 thickens;

[0053] Step S3: when the outer zone temperature sensor 221 detects that the temperature is lower than the second set value, the refrigerant distributor 30 is controlled to stop the liquid supply, and the four-way reversing valve is controlled to switch the refrigerant flow direction, so that hot refrigerant enters the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and the outer zone refrigerant coil 12 through the first branch 34 and the second branch 35, and defrosting is performed;

[0054] Step S4: After the ice is removed, the four-way reversing valve is reset, and the next ice-making cycle is started.

[0055] Embodiment 1, this embodiment takes the ice-making process as an example, combined with the attached Figure 1 to the attached Figure 8 Detailed working process: The working process is as follows:

[0056] Step 1: Start ice making, controller 40 initializes, control four-way reversing valve in ice making state, first solenoid valve 32 of refrigerant distributor 30 is opened, second solenoid valve 33, third solenoid valve 341, fourth solenoid valve 351 are closed;

[0057] Step 2: Low-temperature refrigerant enters refrigerant distributor 30 through condenser connecting pipe 31, flows into inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and micro-channel flat tube cavity 211 through inner zone inlet pipe 111, inner zone forming box 21 rapidly cools, inner zone temperature sensor 212 monitors temperature in real time and feeds back to controller 40;

[0058] Step 3: When the inner zone temperature sensor 212 detects that the temperature is ≤-5℃ first set value, the controller 40 controls the first solenoid valve 32 opening degree to reduce to 30%, and the second solenoid valve 33 is opened to 80% opening degree, the refrigerant begins to flow more into the outer zone refrigerant coil 12, the outer zone forming box 22 begins to freeze rapidly, the outer zone temperature sensor 221 monitors the temperature in real time;

[0059] Step 4: When the outer zone temperature sensor 221 detects that the temperature is ≤-10℃ second set value, the controller 40 judges that the ice block forming is completed, controls the first solenoid valve 32 and the second solenoid valve 33 to be closed, and the ice-making stage is ended.

[0060] Embodiment 2, this embodiment takes the ice-removing process as an example, combined with the attached Figure 1 to the attached Figure 8 Detailed working process: The working process is as follows:

[0061] Step 1: After ice making is completed, the controller 40 issues ice-removing instruction, controls the four-way reversing valve to switch to ice-removing state, and the flow direction of refrigerant is reversed;

[0062] Step 2: The controller 40 opens the third solenoid valve 341, closes the first solenoid valve 32, the second solenoid valve 33 and the fourth solenoid valve 351, hot refrigerant enters the inner zone refrigerant coil 11 and the micro-channel flat tube cavity 211 through the first branch 34 and the inner zone inlet pipe 111, the temperature of the inner zone forming box 21 rises, and the ice nucleus and the box body begin to separate;

[0063] Step 3: After 3 seconds, the controller 40 opens the fourth solenoid valve 351, and the hot refrigerant enters the outer zone refrigerant coil 12 through the second branch 35 and the outer zone inlet pipe 121, the temperature of the outer zone forming box 22 rises, and under the action of the hydrophilic coating 222 on the inner surface of the outer zone forming box 22, the ice layer is quickly separated from the box body;

[0064] Step 4: After the ice is removed, the controller 40 closes the third solenoid valve 341 and the fourth solenoid valve 351, controls the four-way reversing valve to reset to the ice making state, and starts the next ice making cycle.

[0065] Example 3, this embodiment takes the ice thickness variable ice making control as an example, combined with the attached Figure 1 to the attached Figure 8 Detailed working process: The working process is as follows:

[0066] Step 1: The user selects "thin ice mode" with a thickness of about 8mm or "thick ice mode" with a thickness of about 15mm through the operation interface of the controller 40;

[0067] Step 2: If "thin ice mode" is selected, the first set value is adjusted to -3℃, and the second set value is adjusted to -6℃: ①During the initial ice making, the first solenoid valve 32 is fully opened, and the inner zone forming box 21 is rapidly cooled. When the inner zone temperature sensor 212 detects -3℃, the switch to the outer zone liquid supply is made; ②The second solenoid valve 33 is opened to 60% opening, and when the outer zone temperature sensor 221 detects -6℃, the controller 40 judges that the thin ice is formed and stops the liquid supply to enter the ice removal stage;

[0068] Step 3: If "thick ice mode" is selected, the first set value is adjusted to -7℃, and the second set value is adjusted to -12℃: ①During the initial ice making, the first solenoid valve 32 is fully opened, and when the inner zone temperature sensor 212 detects -7℃, the switch to the outer zone liquid supply is made; ②The second solenoid valve 33 is opened to 90% opening, and when the outer zone temperature sensor 221 detects -12℃, the controller 40 controls the first solenoid valve 32 to be opened to 40% opening again, and the inner zone and the outer zone are supplied with liquid at the same time for 3 minutes to ensure that the ice layer is uniformly thickened; ③After 3 minutes, when the outer zone temperature stabilizes at -13℃, the liquid supply is stopped to enter the ice removal stage, and at this time the controller 40 controls the third solenoid valve 341 and the fourth solenoid valve 351 to increase the opening by 20%, and the ice removal time is extended to 12 seconds to ensure that the thick ice is completely removed;

[0069] Step 4: After the ice is removed, both modes are automatically reset, and the next ice making instruction is waited.

[0070] Finally, it should be noted that the above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments can be modified or some technical features thereof can be replaced by equivalent features, and any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker, comprising an evaporator body (10) and an ice forming box (20), characterized in that: The evaporator body (10) includes at least two independent heat exchange zones, namely an inner zone refrigerant coil (11) and an outer zone refrigerant coil (12). The ice forming box (20) includes an inner forming box (21) corresponding to the inner refrigerant coil (11) and an outer forming box (22) corresponding to the outer refrigerant coil (12). The energy-saving evaporator also includes: The controller (40) is configured to prioritize supplying liquid cooling to the inner zone refrigerant coil (11) during the ice-making cycle, and switch to supplying liquid cooling to the outer zone refrigerant coil (12) after ice nuclei are formed; The refrigerant distributor (30) is connected to the inner zone refrigerant coil (11) and the outer zone refrigerant coil (12) respectively via pipes and is controlled by the controller (40); The inner wall of the inner zone forming box (21) is provided with a microchannel flat tube cavity (211), which is connected to the inner zone inlet pipe (111) of the inner zone refrigerant coil (11) to increase the refrigeration contact area and heat exchange efficiency. The inner surface of the outer forming box (22) is provided with a hydrophilic coating (222) to reduce the adhesion of ice and facilitate subsequent de-icing; The refrigerant distributor (30) is connected to the condenser via the condenser connecting pipe (31). The condenser is connected to the compressor, the compressor is connected to the four-way reversing valve, and the four-way reversing valve is connected to the evaporator body (10) to form a refrigeration cycle system. The evaporator body (10) is provided with an inner zone outlet pipe (112) and an outer zone inlet pipe (121). The inner zone outlet pipe (112) and the outer zone inlet pipe (121) are respectively connected to the inner zone refrigerant coil (11) and the outer zone refrigerant coil (12). The inner zone outlet pipe (112) and the outer zone inlet pipe (121) are both connected to the four-way reversing valve. The four-way reversing valve is used to switch the refrigerant flow direction. When making ice, the refrigerant flows from the condenser to the evaporator body (10). When de-icing, the hot refrigerant flows directly from the compressor to the evaporator body (10).

2. The energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerant distributor (30) is provided with a first solenoid valve (32) and a second solenoid valve (33). The first solenoid valve (32) is located on the inner zone inlet pipe (111) and is used to control the refrigerant flow of the inner zone refrigerant coil (11). The second solenoid valve (33) is located on the outer zone inlet pipe (121) and is used to control the refrigerant flow of the outer zone refrigerant coil (12). The refrigerant distributor (30) is also provided with a condenser connecting pipe (31) for connecting to the condenser.

3. The energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The refrigerant distributor (30) is also provided with a first branch (34) and a second branch (35). The first branch (34) is connected to the inner zone inlet pipe (111), and the second branch (35) is connected to the outer zone inlet pipe (121). The first branch (34) is provided with a third solenoid valve (341), and the second branch (35) is provided with a fourth solenoid valve (351). The first branch (34) and the second branch (35) are used to introduce hot refrigerant during de-icing and to heat the inner zone forming box (21) and the outer zone forming box (22).

4. The energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energy-saving evaporator also includes an inner zone temperature sensor (212) disposed on the inner zone forming box (21) and an outer zone temperature sensor (221) disposed on the outer zone forming box (22). Both the inner zone temperature sensor (212) and the outer zone temperature sensor (221) are signal connected to the controller (40). The controller (40) is configured to control the liquid supply strategy of the refrigerant distributor (30) based on the temperature values ​​of the inner zone temperature sensor (212) and the outer zone temperature sensor (221).

5. The energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker according to claim 4, characterized in that, The controller (40) is configured to perform gradient cooling control: In the early stage of ice making, the refrigerant distributor (30) is controlled to supply liquid to the refrigerant coil (11) in the inner zone first, so that the inner zone forming box (21) cools down quickly to form ice cores; When the inner zone temperature sensor (212) detects that the temperature is lower than the first set value, it controls the refrigerant distributor (30) to reduce the liquid supply to the inner zone refrigerant coil (11) and increase the liquid supply to the outer zone refrigerant coil (12), so that the ice layer in the outer zone forming box (22) thickens. When the external temperature sensor (221) detects that the temperature is lower than the second set value, it controls the refrigerant distributor (30) to stop supplying liquid.

6. The energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker according to claim 5, characterized in that, The controller (40) is also configured to control the four-way reversing valve to switch the refrigerant flow direction during de-icing, so that the hot refrigerant enters the inner zone refrigerant coil (11) and the outer zone refrigerant coil (12) through the first branch (34) and the second branch (35) to heat the inner zone forming box (21) and the outer zone forming box (22); wherein, the controller (40) first starts the first branch (34) to heat the inner zone forming box (21) to promote the loosening of ice cores, and then starts the second branch (35) to heat the outer zone forming box (22) to achieve energy-saving and efficient de-icing.

7. The control method for an energy-saving evaporator for an ice maker according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The control method includes the following steps: Step S1: In the initial stage of ice making, the refrigerant distributor (30) is controlled to supply liquid to the inner zone refrigerant coil (11) first, so that the inner zone forming box (21) cools down quickly to form ice cores. The energy-saving evaporator also includes an inner zone temperature sensor (212) set on the inner zone forming box (21) and an outer zone temperature sensor (221) set on the outer zone forming box (22). Step S2: When the inner zone temperature sensor (212) detects that the temperature is lower than the first set value, the refrigerant distributor (30) is controlled to reduce the liquid supply to the inner zone refrigerant coil (11) and increase the liquid supply to the outer zone refrigerant coil (12), so that the ice layer in the outer zone forming box (22) is thickened. Step S3: When the outer zone temperature sensor (221) detects that the temperature is lower than the second set value, the refrigerant distributor (30) is controlled to stop supplying liquid, and the four-way reversing valve is controlled to switch the refrigerant flow direction, so that the hot refrigerant enters the inner zone refrigerant coil (11) and the outer zone refrigerant coil (12) through the first branch (34) and the second branch (35) for de-icing; Step S4: After de-icing is completed, control the four-way reversing valve to reset and start the next ice-making cycle.

Images