Active ice dredging type pipe ice and ice slurry coupled ice-making system and method

Abstract

The invention discloses an active ice dredging type pipe ice and slurry ice coupling ice making system and method, and the system comprises a circulating ice storage unit which is provided with a water supplementing pipeline, a backflow pipeline, an ice discharging pipeline and a pumping pipeline; the ice dredging coupling unit comprises a shell connected with the backflow pipeline and a circulating pump which is connected with the pumping pipeline and is used for pumping water in the circulating ice storage unit into the shell; the heat exchange unit comprises at least one outer pipe inserted into the shell and inner pipes inserted into the outer pipes and coaxial with the outer pipes and further comprises refrigerant input pipes connected with the inner pipes and refrigerant output pipes connected with the outer pipes. And a refrigerant circulation unit. According to the invention, the whole system replaces the traditional discontinuous mode of'thick ice formation-shutdown deicing 'through the continuous process of'thin ice formation-active dredging-in-situ mixing', and realizes the continuity, high efficiency and stability of the ice making process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ice-making technology, and in particular to an active de-icing tube ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system and method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the mainstream ice-making technologies in the industry are mainly divided into two categories: external tube ice making and fluid ice making. However, both types of technologies have obvious defects and there is a problem of technological fragmentation.

[0003] Traditional external tube ice machines generally adopt a passive "anti-icing / de-icing" working mode. Their core principle is to freeze water on the outer wall of the heat exchange tubes. Once the ice layer reaches a certain thickness, it needs to be melted periodically by heating or mechanically scraped to remove and collect the ice. This mode has several inherent drawbacks: Firstly, the heating and ice-melting process consumes a large amount of additional energy and causes ineffective loss of internal cooling capacity, significantly increasing ice-making energy consumption and reducing ice-making efficiency. Secondly, mechanical scraping easily generates rigid friction with the surface of the heat exchange tubes, leading to wear and damage. Long-term use will compromise the sealing performance and heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange tubes, significantly shortening the equipment's lifespan and increasing maintenance costs and downtime losses.

[0004] As a novel ice-making method, fluidized ice technology relies on the spontaneous nucleation process of supercooled water to generate suspended ice crystals, eliminating the need for additional de-icing steps and offering certain application advantages. However, it also faces significant technical bottlenecks: the supercooled water system itself has extremely poor stability, easily leading to spontaneous nucleation and rapid growth in pipes, equipment inner walls, and other areas, causing pipe blockage, affecting normal system circulation, and even causing equipment failure; at the same time, the small and unevenly distributed ice crystals generated by spontaneous nucleation result in low energy storage density of fluidized ice, limited cooling effect per unit volume, and overall low ice-making efficiency, making it difficult to adapt to large-scale, high-demand ice-making scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings mentioned above by providing an active ice-reducing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system and method, which can significantly reduce energy consumption, improve ice-making efficiency and quality, enhance system operation stability and reliability, and effectively extend equipment service life.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: an active ice-reducing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system, comprising: The circulating ice storage unit has a water supply pipe, a return pipe, an ice discharge pipe and a pumping pipe; The ice-relief coupling unit includes a housing connected to a return pipe and a circulation pump connected to a pumping pipe for pumping water from the circulating ice storage unit to the housing. The heat exchange unit includes at least one outer tube inserted into the housing and an inner tube inserted into the outer tube and coaxial with the outer tube, and also includes a refrigerant inlet pipe connected to each inner tube and a refrigerant outlet pipe connected to each outer tube; The refrigerant circulation unit is used to supply liquid refrigerant to the refrigerant inlet pipe, to cool the gaseous refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant outlet pipe, and to recover the lubricating oil discharged from the heat exchange unit.

[0007] Furthermore, the outer tube is provided with multiple toothed baffles on its outer wall inside the housing.

[0008] Furthermore, the outer wall surface of the outer tube located inside the housing is a smooth wall surface.

[0009] Furthermore, the circulating ice storage unit includes a water tank and a control valve, and the water tank is connected to a return pipe through the control valve.

[0010] Furthermore, the circulating ice storage unit also includes a flow sensor, which is located between the control valve and the water tank. The ice-releasing coupling unit also includes a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The control valve adjusts the flow rate based on the system pressure and temperature feedback from the pressure sensor and the temperature sensor.

[0011] Furthermore, the water tank is equipped with a stirrer to stir and mix the ice slurry inside the water tank.

[0012] Furthermore, an annular subcooled water flow channel is formed between the outer tube and the shell.

[0013] Furthermore, the circulating pump is equipped with a frequency converter module electrically connected to the circulating pump, which is used to adjust the flow rate of the subcooled water pumped by the circulating pump.

[0014] Furthermore, both the refrigerant inlet pipe and the refrigerant outlet pipe are disc-shaped.

[0015] An active de-icing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making method, applied to any of the active de-icing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making systems described above, includes the following steps: When the system is started, the refrigerant circulation unit supplies liquid refrigerant to the inner tube of the heat exchange unit. The liquid refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat in the inner tube, transferring the cooling capacity to the outer tube. The water in the circulating ice storage unit is pumped by the circulation pump into the annular subcooled water channel formed by the shell and the outer tube, forming a forced circulating water flow. The water flow in the annular subcooled water channel comes into contact with the outer wall of the outer pipe and exchanges heat. The outer pipe transfers the cooling energy from the inner pipe to the water flow, causing the water temperature to drop below the freezing point and form subcooled water. Some of the subcooled water spontaneously nucleates under the influence of water flow disturbance, forming tiny fluid ice crystals. At the same time, the subcooled water in contact with the outer wall of the outer pipe condenses on the outer wall of the outer pipe under the influence of cooling energy, forming a thin layer of pipe ice. The circulating pump drives the water flow to form turbulence, which, together with the turbulence structure on the outer wall of the outer pipe, generates water flow shear force. When the thin layer of pipe ice grows to the preset thickness, the shear force overcomes the adhesion between the pipe ice and the outer wall of the outer pipe, causing the pipe ice to peel off and fall off the outer wall in one piece. The detached tube ice mixes with the fluid ice crystals in the annular subcooled water channel under turbulent stirring to form a uniform mixed ice slurry. The mixed ice slurry is returned to the water tank of the circulating ice storage unit through the return pipe. The control valve adjusts the system's circulating flow and pressure based on feedback signals from pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and flow sensors to maintain optimal operating conditions within the subcooled water flow channel. As the ice-making process continues, the ice concentration of the ice slurry in the water tank gradually increases. When the concentration reaches the preset value, the mixed ice slurry is discharged to the outside through the ice discharge pipe. At the same time, the water supply pipe replenishes water according to the liquid level in the water tank. In the refrigerant circulation unit, the gaseous refrigerant that evaporates in the inner tube is discharged through the refrigerant output pipe. After being compressed by the compressor, condensed by the condenser, and throttled by the throttling device, it becomes liquid refrigerant again and enters the inner tube, completing the refrigerant circulation. The oil return structure simultaneously separates and recovers the lubricating oil in the gaseous refrigerant.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are reflected in: 1. Significantly reduced energy consumption: It eliminates the energy required for heating and melting ice, and reduces cold loss by continuously maintaining a highly efficient heat exchange state for thin ice, resulting in a reduction in overall ice-making energy consumption; 2. Improve ice-making efficiency and quality: The heat transfer coefficient of thin ice is much higher than that of thick ice, resulting in a faster ice-making rate; 3. Enhanced system stability and reliability: The uniformly mixed ice slurry is less prone to caking or clogging of pipelines; the ice-removing mechanism avoids the negative impact of disordered ice growth on system flow and heat exchange, allowing the system to operate continuously and stably for a long time; 4. Effectively extends equipment lifespan: Completely eliminates mechanical ice scraping, eradicating physical damage to the surface of heat exchange tubes, thus extending the lifespan of heat exchange components and reducing maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the circulating pump side water injection system of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the toothed baffle block of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the system for injecting water at the top of the circulating pump according to the present invention.

[0018] In the picture: 1. Circulating ice storage unit; 2. Ice-removing coupling unit; 21. Housing; 22. Circulation pump; 3. Heat exchange unit; 31. Outer pipe; 32. Inner pipe; 33. Refrigerant inlet pipe; 34. Refrigerant outlet pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] Please see Figure 1-3 This invention discloses an active ice-reducing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system, comprising: The circulating ice storage unit 1 has a water supply pipe, a return pipe, an ice discharge pipe and a pumping pipe; The ice-removing coupling unit 2 includes a housing 21 connected to the return pipe and a circulation pump 22 connected to the pumping pipe and used to pump water from the circulating ice storage unit 1 to the housing 21. The heat exchange unit 3 includes at least one outer tube 31 inserted into the housing 21 and an inner tube 32 inserted into the outer tube 31 and coaxial with the outer tube 31, and also includes a refrigerant inlet pipe 33 connected to each inner tube 32 and a refrigerant outlet pipe 34 connected to each outer tube 31. The refrigerant circulation unit is used to supply liquid refrigerant to the refrigerant inlet pipe 33, to cool the gaseous refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant outlet pipe 34, and to recover the lubricating oil discharged from the heat exchange unit 3.

[0021] This invention utilizes a circulating ice storage unit 1 to achieve water supply, ice slurry storage, and circulation control. An ice-removing coupling unit 2, relying on a circulating pump 22, constructs a forced circulation loop for subcooled water. Combined with the coaxial heat exchange structure of the inner and outer tubes in the heat exchange unit 3, it achieves efficient heat transfer. A refrigerant circulation unit ensures stable circulation of the refrigerant medium and lubricant recovery, preventing lubricant accumulation from affecting heat exchange efficiency. The system innovatively employs an active ice-removing design, combined with a coupled ice-making mode, organically coupling the high energy density advantage of tube ice with the good fluidity advantage of liquid ice within a single system. This avoids the complexity and cost of building two separate systems, solving the technical pain points of traditional ice-making systems such as easy frost and ice accumulation, rapid decline in heat exchange efficiency, uneven ice quality, and high energy consumption. It can be widely applied in various scenarios.

[0022] In one embodiment, the outer tube 31 is provided with a plurality of toothed baffles on the outer wall inside the housing 21.

[0023] This design allows the toothed turbulence blocks to disrupt the laminar boundary layer, enhance the intensity of water turbulence, and improve the heat transfer coefficient. At the same time, the water flow shear force generated by the turbulence structure can precisely control the thickness of the pipe ice growth. When the pipe ice thickness reaches 1-2 mm, the shear force automatically triggers the pipe ice peeling, realizing a continuous cycle of "growth-peeling" to avoid excessively thick ice layers that would increase thermal resistance and maintain a stable ice-making rate.

[0024] Specifically, multiple toothed turbulence blocks are evenly arranged along the axial direction of the outer tube 31 and are staggered in the circumferential direction.

[0025] In another embodiment, the outer wall surface of the outer tube 31 located inside the housing 21 is a smooth wall surface, which is simpler to process and lower in cost, and can meet the application scenarios with lower requirements for ice-making rate.

[0026] In one embodiment, the circulating ice storage unit 1 includes a water tank and a control valve. The water tank is connected to a return pipe through the control valve. The circulating ice storage unit 1 also includes a flow sensor, which is disposed between the control valve and the water tank. The ice dissipation coupling unit 2 also includes a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The control valve adjusts the flow rate according to the system pressure and temperature feedback from the pressure sensor and the temperature sensor.

[0027] With this design, the control valve adjusts the circulation flow rate in real time based on feedback from multiple sensors, maintaining stable pressure and temperature within the subcooled water channel and preventing pressure fluctuations from causing premature freezing and blockage of the channel.

[0028] Specifically, the inner wall of the water tank is polished to prevent ice slurry from adhering and impurities from remaining, and the bottom of the water tank has an inclined structure to facilitate the collection of ice slurry and ice removal operations.

[0029] In one embodiment, a stirrer is provided on the water tank to stir and mix the ice slurry in the water tank.

[0030] This design ensures that the agitator continuously stirs the ice slurry in the water tank, preventing ice crystals from settling and stratifying, and ensuring that the ice slurry output from the ice discharge pipe has a uniform concentration.

[0031] In one embodiment, an annular subcooled water flow channel is formed between the outer tube 31 and the shell 21.

[0032] This design, through the optimized hydraulic diameter of the annular subcooled water channel, controls the water flow velocity within the optimal range, ensuring both turbulence intensity and avoiding excessive pressure drop.

[0033] In one embodiment, the circulating pump 22 is provided with a frequency converter module electrically connected to the circulating pump 22, which is used to adjust the flow rate of the subcooled water pumped by the circulating pump 22.

[0034] With this design, the variable frequency control module dynamically adjusts the speed of the circulating pump 22 according to the ice-making load. It reduces the flow rate to save energy under low load and increases the flow rate to enhance heat exchange and ice removal capacity under high load, thereby optimizing the system's energy efficiency ratio.

[0035] In one embodiment, both the refrigerant inlet pipe 33 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 34 are disc-shaped, which can ensure that the refrigerant flow in each inner pipe 32 is uniform, preventing "liquid starvation" or "liquid overflow", and also make the refrigerant more evenly distributed during the evaporation process, avoiding local overheating or overcooling, and further improving the heat exchange performance.

[0036] It should be noted that when the circulating pump 22 injects water into the housing 21, it can do so either by introducing water from the side of the housing 21 or by introducing water from the top of the housing 21, to meet different usage requirements.

[0037] An active de-icing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making method, applicable to any active de-icing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system, includes the following steps: When the system is started, the refrigerant circulation unit supplies liquid refrigerant to the inner tube 32 of the heat exchange unit 3. The liquid refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat in the inner tube 32, transferring the cooling capacity to the outer tube 31. The water in the circulating ice storage unit 1 is pumped by the circulating pump 22 into the annular subcooled water channel formed by the shell 21 and the outer tube 31, forming a forced circulating water flow. The water flow in the annular subcooled water channel comes into contact with the outer wall of the outer pipe 31 and exchanges heat. The outer pipe 31 transfers the cooling energy from the inner pipe 32 to the water flow, causing the water temperature to drop below the freezing point and form subcooled water. Some of the subcooled water spontaneously nucleates under the action of water flow disturbance, forming tiny fluid ice crystals. At the same time, the subcooled water in contact with the outer wall of the outer pipe 31 condenses on the outer wall of the outer pipe 31 under the action of cooling energy, forming a thin layer of pipe ice. The circulating pump 22 drives the water flow to form turbulence, which, together with the turbulence structure on the outer wall of the outer pipe 31, generates water flow shear force. When the thin layer of pipe ice grows to the preset thickness, the shear force overcomes the adhesion between the pipe ice and the outer wall of the outer pipe 31, causing the pipe ice to peel off and fall off the outer wall in one piece. The detached tube ice mixes with the fluid ice crystals in the annular subcooled water channel under turbulent stirring to form a uniform mixed ice slurry. The mixed ice slurry is returned to the water tank of the circulating ice storage unit 1 through the return pipe. The control valve adjusts the system's circulating flow and pressure based on feedback signals from pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and flow sensors to maintain optimal operating conditions within the subcooled water flow channel. As the ice-making process continues, the ice concentration of the ice slurry in the water tank gradually increases. When the concentration reaches the preset value, the mixed ice slurry is discharged to the outside through the ice discharge pipe. At the same time, the water supply pipe replenishes water according to the liquid level in the water tank. In the refrigerant circulation unit, the gaseous refrigerant evaporated in the inner tube 32 is discharged through the refrigerant output tube 34. After being compressed by the compressor, condensed by the condenser, and throttled by the throttling device, it becomes liquid refrigerant again and enters the inner tube 32 to complete the refrigerant circulation. The oil return structure simultaneously separates and recovers the lubricating oil in the gaseous refrigerant.

[0038] This design, through a coupled ice-making process of "supercooling-spontaneous nucleation-wall icing-turbulent de-icing-mixing and homogenization," simultaneously generates both tube ice and fluid ice crystals within the same device. Tube ice provides large-capacity cold storage, while fluid ice crystals provide high fluidity. The mixed ice slurry combines high ice concentration with excellent pumping characteristics. The active de-icing mechanism utilizes water flow energy rather than mechanical scraping to peel off the ice layer, eliminating wear on moving parts and extending maintenance cycles. Multi-parameter closed-loop control ensures stable system operation, avoids the risk of ice blockage, and achieves continuous, automated, and efficient ice slurry production.

[0039] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0040] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0041] Additionally, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0042] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An active ice-removing coupled pipe ice and fluid ice ice making system, characterized in that, include: The circulating ice storage unit (1) has a water supply pipe, a return pipe, an ice discharge pipe and a pumping pipe; The ice-relief coupling unit (2) includes a housing (21) connected to a return pipe and a circulation pump (22) connected to a pumping pipe for pumping water from the circulating ice storage unit (1) to the housing (21). The heat exchange unit (3) includes at least one outer tube (31) inserted into the housing (21) and an inner tube (32) inserted into the outer tube (31) and coaxial with the outer tube (31), and also includes a refrigerant inlet pipe (33) connected to each inner tube (32) and a refrigerant outlet pipe (34) connected to each outer tube (31). The refrigerant circulation unit is used to supply liquid refrigerant to the refrigerant inlet pipe (33), to cool the gaseous refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant outlet pipe (34), and to recover the lubricating oil discharged from the heat exchange unit (3).

2. The active ice-removing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer tube (31) is provided with multiple toothed turbulence blocks on the outer wall inside the shell (21).

3. The active ice-removing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall surface of the outer tube (31) located inside the shell (21) is a smooth wall surface.

4. The active ice-removing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circulating ice storage unit (1) includes a water tank and a control valve, wherein the water tank is connected to a return pipe through the control valve.

5. The active ice-removing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The circulating ice storage unit (1) also includes a flow sensor, which is located between the control valve and the water tank. The ice-releasing coupling unit (2) also includes a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The control valve adjusts the flow rate according to the system pressure and temperature feedback from the pressure sensor and the temperature sensor.

6. The active ice-removing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The water tank is equipped with a stirrer to mix the ice slurry inside.

7. The active ice-removing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: An annular subcooled water flow channel is formed between the outer tube (31) and the shell (21).

8. The active ice-removing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circulating pump (22) is equipped with a frequency conversion adjustment module that is electrically connected to the circulating pump (22). The frequency conversion adjustment module is used to adjust the flow rate of the supercooled water pumped by the circulating pump (22).

9. The active ice-removing pipe ice and fluid ice coupling ice-making system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the refrigerant inlet pipe (33) and the refrigerant outlet pipe (34) are disc-shaped.

10. A method for coupling active de-icing pipe ice and fluidized ice to make ice, applied to the active de-icing pipe ice and fluidized ice coupling ice making system as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: When the system is started, the refrigerant circulation unit supplies liquid refrigerant to the inner tube (32) of the heat exchange unit (3). The liquid refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat in the inner tube (32), transferring the cooling capacity to the outer tube (31). The water in the circulating ice storage unit (1) is pumped by the circulating pump (22) into the annular subcooled water flow channel formed by the shell (21) and the outer tube (31) to form a forced circulating water flow. The water flow in the annular subcooled water channel comes into contact with the outer wall of the outer pipe (31) and exchanges heat. The outer pipe (31) transfers the cold energy transferred by the inner pipe (32) to the water flow, causing the water temperature to drop below the freezing point to form subcooled water. Some of the subcooled water spontaneously nucleates under the action of water flow disturbance, forming tiny fluid ice crystals. At the same time, the subcooled water in contact with the outer wall of the outer pipe (31) condenses on the outer wall of the outer pipe (31) under the action of cold energy to form a thin layer of pipe ice. The circulating pump (22) drives the water flow to form turbulence, which, together with the turbulence structure on the outer wall of the outer pipe (31), generates water flow shear force. When the thin layer of pipe ice grows to the preset thickness, the shear force overcomes the adhesion force between the pipe ice and the outer wall of the outer pipe (31), causing the pipe ice to peel off and fall off from the outer wall in one piece. The detached tube ice mixes with the fluid ice crystals in the annular subcooled water channel under turbulent stirring to form a uniform mixed ice slurry. The mixed ice slurry is returned to the water tank of the circulating ice storage unit (1) through the return pipe. The control valve adjusts the system's circulating flow and pressure based on feedback signals from pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and flow sensors to maintain optimal operating conditions within the subcooled water flow channel. As the ice-making process continues, the ice concentration of the ice slurry in the water tank gradually increases. When the concentration reaches the preset value, the mixed ice slurry is discharged to the outside through the ice discharge pipe. At the same time, the water supply pipe replenishes water according to the liquid level in the water tank. In the refrigerant circulation unit, the gaseous refrigerant evaporated in the inner tube (32) is discharged through the refrigerant output tube (34). After being compressed by the compressor, condensed by the condenser and throttled by the throttling device, it becomes liquid refrigerant again and enters the inner tube (32) to complete the refrigerant circulation. The oil return structure simultaneously separates and recovers the lubricating oil in the gaseous refrigerant.

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