Clear Ice Maker with Closed-Loop Water Recycling for TDS Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional icemakers require external drain lines for excess water management, which are costly and difficult to install, and produce cloudy ice due to high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in municipal water, necessitating user intervention to maintain clear ice production.
Innovation Solution
An icemaker design that recycles water within a closed system, using a reservoir and nozzle to dispense and freeze liquid, with a controller managing the water supply and TDS levels, allowing for clear ice production without an external drain, and utilizing a second reservoir for high-TDS water storage and recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external drain lines are used to dispose of excess water, then excess water management is effective, but installation cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the drain line requirement from the system by implementing a closed-loop water recycling system. The high-TDS water that would normally require drainage is instead redirected to a storage reservoir, eliminating the need for external drain lines while maintaining effective excess water management.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding high-TDS water through drain lines, the system recovers it by directing it to a storage reservoir. This recovered water can be reused in subsequent ice-making cycles after dilution with fresh water, transforming waste management into resource recovery.
2Manufacturing precision
If municipal water with TDS is used for ice making, then clear ice can be produced initially, but TDS accumulates and ice quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by monitoring TDS accumulation in the water supply reservoir. When TDS reaches a threshold level, the controller activates the drain pump to remove excess water and opens the fresh water inlet to restore water quality, ensuring consistent ice clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages TDS concentration by dynamically adjusting water composition - removing high-TDS water when thresholds are exceeded and replenishing with low-TDS fresh water. This parameter control maintains optimal conditions for clear ice production throughout operation.
3Device complexity
If a closed water recycling system is implemented, then external drain lines are eliminated, but water quality management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service water quality management through automated controller operation. The controller monitors TDS levels and automatically activates the drain pump or opens the fresh water inlet as needed, eliminating manual intervention while maintaining water quality standards.
Solution Approach 2:
The water supply reservoir serves multiple functions: it stores fresh water for ice making, collects and stores high-TDS water from the ice mold, and acts as a mixing chamber where fresh and recycled water combine. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall system architecture.
4Productivity
If leftover high-TDS water remains in the icemaker, then clear ice production stops, but user intervention is required to continue
Solution Approach 1:
The system ensures continuous ice production by automatically managing water quality without user intervention. When TDS levels indicate declining ice quality, the controller automatically drains high-TDS water and replenishes with fresh water, maintaining uninterrupted clear ice production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated feedback mechanism monitors water quality parameters and triggers appropriate responses (draining or fresh water addition) to maintain ice production continuity, eliminating the need for users to manually detect and address water quality issues.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables clear ice production without external drainage, reduces installation complexity, and effectively manages TDS levels to maintain clear ice quality, improving user convenience and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
heat transfer between liquid water in the ice maker and refrigerant of the sealed system generates ice
Data Source
AI summary
An icemaker appliance and a method for making clear ice are provided. The icemaking apparatus includes a cabinet forming an ice storage compartment. A reservoir is provided within the ice storage compartment. A liquid supply conduit is configured to supply liquid to the reservoir. An ice mold is configured to freeze liquid at the ice mold. A nozzle is configured to dispense the liquid from the reservoir to the ice mold. A controller is configured to execute instructions that perform operations. The operations include dispensing, from a body of liquid at the reservoir, a flow of liquid toward the ice mold; freezing, at the ice mold, a first portion of the flow of liquid received from dispensing the flow of liquid to the ice mold; providing, to the reservoir, a second portion of the flow of liquid dispensed toward the ice mold; and providing, from the liquid supply conduit to the reservoir, a supply of liquid after dispensing the flow of liquid toward the ice mold.