Clear Ice Sphere Mold with Directional Freezing and Water Circulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice making technologies struggle to produce clear ice spheres efficiently, often resulting in cloudy or fractured ice due to trapped air and minerals, and lack a method for consistent directional freezing.
Innovation Solution
A counter-top ice structure producing apparatus using a mold with two portions, where one portion is in thermal communication with a cooling source and has a higher thermal conductivity than the other, allowing for directional solidification and ejection of clear ice spheres through a motorized drive mechanism and ejector apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional ice making methods are used, then ice structures are produced quickly, but the ice becomes cloudy or fractured due to trapped air and minerals
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into two separate portions: a first mold portion with high thermal conductivity for directional freezing, and a second mold portion with low thermal conductivity to prevent freezing. This segmentation allows control over the freezing process to achieve clear ice while maintaining production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the mold have different thermal properties - the first mold portion has high thermal conductivity to enable controlled directional freezing for clarity, while the second mold portion has low thermal conductivity to prevent freezing and allow ejection. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between production speed and ice clarity
2Device complexity
If a single-material mold is used, then the mold structure is simple, but directional freezing cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The mold uses a composite structure with two portions made of different materials having different thermal conductivities. The first mold portion uses high thermal conductivity material for directional freezing, while the second uses low thermal conductivity material to prevent freezing. This composite approach enables precise freezing direction control while keeping the overall mold structure relatively simple
3Device complexity
If the entire mold is cooled uniformly, then the freezing process is simple, but air and minerals become trapped in the ice
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling process applies different thermal conditions to different regions of the mold. The first mold portion is actively cooled to enable directional freezing that prevents air and mineral trapping, while the second mold portion is kept warm to prevent freezing. This localized thermal control achieves high ice quality without overly complicating the cooling process
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
The apparatus effectively produces clear ice spheres by ensuring directional freezing and preventing air and mineral trapping, resulting in consistent and high-quality ice structures.
Implementation Method 1
a first mold portion (32) having an outer surface that is in thermal communication with a cooling source (50)
Implementation Method 2
A liquid is then injected into the mold cavity through the liquid inlet to fill the mold cavity. The liquid injected into the mold cavity is then frozen to form at least one ice structure.
Implementation Method 3
the first temperature is a temperature below a second temperature of the second mold portion, such that the first mold portion is maintained at a temperature below a temperature of the second mold portion
Data Source
AI summary
A method of making clear ice spheres includes a providing a mold apparatus having a first mold portion and a second mold portion having mold cavity segments which define one or more mold cavities when the mold apparatus is assembled in an ice forming position. The mold apparatus is then cooled using a cooling source in thermal communication with the first mold portion. Water is then injected into the mold cavities, such that a portion of the water injected into the mold cavities is solidified in a directional manner from the first mold portion to the second mold portion to create a clear ice structure. Water is continuously circulated within the mold cavities to ensure clear ice is formed by injecting and simultaneously ejecting water from the mold cavities during ice formation. The ice clear structures are then released from the mold apparatus by disassembling the mold apparatus.