Ice cube evaporator plate assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional evaporator plate assemblies in ice making machines face issues with copper tube corrosion, high manufacturing costs, and environmental concerns due to the use of tin plating and brazing, which result in inefficient ice production and safety hazards for workers.
Innovation Solution
The use of stainless steel evaporator plates with serpentine tubing and dimples, where the tubing is either stainless steel or copper plated with tin, eliminates the need for tin tape and brazing by spot welding and dimple formation, increasing heat transfer and ice production efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If copper tubes are used in evaporator plate assemblies, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but corrosion resistance deteriorates due to oxidation and moisture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction by combining copper tubes (for superior heat transfer) with stainless steel evaporator plates (for corrosion resistance). The copper tubes are selectively positioned within the plate assembly to maximize thermal efficiency while the stainless steel plates provide a protective, corrosion-resistant structure that prevents moisture and oxidation damage to the copper components.
Solution Approach 2:
The stainless steel evaporator plates serve as an intermediary protective layer between the copper tubes and the corrosive environment. The plates are configured to contact and protect the copper tubes from exposure to moisture and oxygen, thereby preventing corrosion while allowing the copper to perform its heat transfer function effectively.
2Reliability
If tin plating and brazing processes are used on copper tubes, then corrosion protection is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex tin plating and brazing processes from the manufacturing workflow. Instead of applying protective coatings and joining methods to copper tubes, the design uses the stainless steel evaporator plates themselves as the protective and structural element, thereby removing multiple manufacturing steps while maintaining or improving corrosion protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The stainless steel plates serve as a durable, replaceable protective structure that eliminates the need for complex protective coatings on copper tubes. Rather than investing in lengthy plating and brazing processes, the design uses a straightforward assembly of stainless steel components that provide corrosion protection through their inherent material properties and structural configuration.
3Use of energy by moving object
If conventional copper tube evaporator assemblies are used, then heat transfer performance is maintained, but environmental impact and worker safety deteriorate due to chemical cleaning and brazing fumes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of using copper (which requires chemical cleaning and produces hazardous fumes during brazing) into a benefit by eliminating these harmful processes. The stainless steel evaporator plates are used in a way that leverages their inherent corrosion resistance and compatibility with refrigerants, thereby avoiding the need for chemical treatments and high-temperature brazing that create environmental and safety issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical and thermal processes (acid cleaning, brazing) with a mechanical assembly approach. The stainless steel plates and copper tubes are mechanically assembled without requiring chemical treatments or high-temperature joining, thereby eliminating the generation of harmful fumes and chemical waste while maintaining effective heat transfer performance.
4Ease of manufacture
If stainless steel evaporator plates with serpentine tubing and dimples are used, then manufacturing simplicity and safety are improved, but heat transfer efficiency may deteriorate compared to conventional copper assemblies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates dimples (curved, non-planar features) into the stainless steel evaporator plates. These dimpled surfaces increase the effective heat transfer area and improve fluid flow patterns over the serpentine tubing, thereby enhancing heat transfer efficiency despite the use of stainless steel material. The curved geometry of the dimples promotes turbulence and extends the boundary layer, improving thermal exchange between the refrigerant and the evaporator surface.
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
This configuration enhances ice production, reduces material and labor costs, minimizes environmental impact, and improves safety by eliminating hazardous chemicals and processes, while maintaining or increasing ice production compared to conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator plate assembly having a pair of dimpled plates between which a serpentine tube is positioned
Implementation Method 2
the evaporator section of the refrigeration system is connected to the series of individual ice forming locations wherein the individual ice forming locations are directly cooled by the refrigeration system
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing an evaporator includes: forming a length of tubing into a serpentine path, the length of tubing forming a tubing coil; forming a first evaporator plate; forming a second evaporator plate; positioning the tubing coil between the first evaporator plate and the second evaporator plate; bringing the first evaporator plate, the second evaporator plate, and the tubing coil into contact with each other; and forming a plurality of dimples in each of the first evaporator plate and the second evaporator plate, thereby at least partially crushing the tubing coil at a position of each of the plurality of dimples, a surface of each of the dimples contacting the tubing coil.