Ice Maker Refrigerant Modulator for Clear Ice Sphere Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a customer demand for an economically viable ice maker that can produce clear ice, particularly single large clear ice spheres, which are preferred for their aesthetic appeal and reduced impurities, but existing solutions have not met this demand effectively.
Innovation Solution
The ice maker appliance incorporates a refrigeration system with a modulator that adjusts the refrigerant flow based on temperature, ensuring optimal refrigerant charging and efficient ice formation, allowing for the production of clear ice billets that can be shaped into large spheres.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a refrigeration system is designed to produce clear ice spheres, then the ice quality and purity are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration system is divided into separate functional components: a first evaporator for initial freezing and a second evaporator for final clear ice formation. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function, achieving clear ice production without requiring a completely complex new system design.
Solution Approach 2:
A modulator is introduced as an intermediary component between the evaporators and refrigerant flow paths. The modulator controls refrigerant distribution and timing, enabling the complex clear ice formation process through a simple, elegant control mechanism that doesn't significantly increase overall system complexity.
2Productivity
If refrigerant flow is increased to improve ice formation speed, then productivity is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration system operates in periodic cycles, alternating between different evaporator configurations. The modulator periodically directs refrigerant flow to different evaporators based on the ice formation stage, maintaining high productivity while allowing the system to recover and optimize energy usage during each cycle phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts refrigerant flow distribution through the modulator based on real-time temperature and pressure conditions. This dynamic control ensures optimal refrigerant utilization at each stage of ice formation, maximizing productivity while minimizing energy consumption by avoiding excessive refrigerant flow.
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 solution enables the economical production of clear ice spheres by efficiently chilling and freezing water, resulting in clear ice with reduced impurities, meeting customer preferences for high-end applications.
Implementation Method 1
The refrigeration system is operable to chill the ice maker
Implementation Method 2
efficiently chilling and freezing water, resulting in clear ice
Implementation Method 3
The modulator is configured for varying a volume of the refrigerant that flows through the refrigeration system in response to the temperature of the refrigerant within the outlet conduit of the evaporator
Data Source
AI summary
An icemaker appliance includes a cabinet. A refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. The refrigeration system is charged with a refrigerant. The refrigeration system further includes a modulator having a reservoir and a supply conduit. The reservoir of the modulator is positioned on an outlet conduit of the evaporator. A first end portion of the supply conduit is coupled to an inlet conduit of the evaporator, and a second end portion of the supply conduit is coupled to the reservoir of the modulator. The refrigerant is flowable into and out of the reservoir of the modulator through the supply conduit of the modulator. An ice maker is positioned within the cabinet. The evaporator of the refrigeration system is coupled to the icemaker such that the refrigeration system is operable to chill the icemaker.