Ice Maker Refrigerant Preheating for Low-Temperature Ice Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice makers face challenges in efficiently removing ice in low-temperature environments, leading to user dissatisfaction and potential malfunctions, especially when using eco-friendly new refrigerants like R-600a.
Innovation Solution
The ice maker incorporates a refrigerant preheating unit with a bypass flow path that allows the refrigerant to be re-suctioned into the compressor before passing through the condenser, controlled by a bypass opening/closing valve and a sensor measuring external temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate hot gas refrigerant flow path is formed to bypass the condenser for ice removal, then ice removal performance is improved, but system complexity increases and miniaturization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant flow path is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the cold-water refrigerant flow path and the ice-making refrigerant flow path, and can switch between ice-making mode and ice-removal mode. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated flow paths for each function, reducing system complexity while maintaining effective ice removal capability.
2Device complexity
If the refrigerant passes through the condenser before ice removal, then system complexity is reduced and miniaturization is enabled, but the refrigerant temperature decreases and ice-removing efficiency drops in low-temperature environments
Solution Approach 1:
The system determines in advance whether the refrigerant temperature is sufficient for ice removal by checking if the difference between discharge temperature and suction temperature exceeds a reference value. If not, the compressor continues operating to preheat the refrigerant before it reaches the condenser, ensuring the refrigerant has adequate temperature for effective ice removal while maintaining a simplified single-flow-path system.
3Reliability
If the compressor operates continuously to maintain refrigerant temperature for ice removal, then ice removal efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors the temperature difference between discharge and suction refrigerant temperatures and uses this feedback to determine whether the compressor should continue operating. When the temperature difference exceeds the reference value, indicating sufficient refrigerant temperature for ice removal, the compressor can stop, reducing energy consumption while maintaining ice removal efficiency when needed.
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 ensures rapid ice removal by maintaining a necessary ice-removing temperature, prevents over-icing, and stabilizes ice removal performance even in low-temperature environments or with eco-friendly refrigerants, while minimizing system complexity and enabling miniaturization.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor (110) for compressing a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a condenser (120) for condensing a refrigerant discharged from a discharge end (114) of the compressor
Implementation Method 3
an expansion unit (130) for expanding a refrigerant condensed in the condenser
Implementation Method 4
an ice-making evaporator (142) for evaporating a refrigerant expanded in the expansion unit (130) to make ice
Implementation Method 5
a refrigerant preheating unit (180) for causing a refrigerant discharged from the compressor (110) to be re-suctioned into the compressor (110) before passing through the condenser (120)
Data Source
AI summary
An ice maker having a refrigerant preheating unit and a control method thereof are disclosed. The ice maker having a refrigerant preheating unit according to one aspect of the present invention and a control method thereof may include: a compressor for compressing a refrigerant; a condenser for condensing a refrigerant discharged from a discharge end of the compressor; an expansion unit for expanding a refrigerant condensed in the condenser; an ice-making evaporator for evaporating a refrigerant expanded in the expansion unit to make ice; a refrigerant flow path unit for guiding a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to a suction end of the compressor through the condenser, the expansion unit and the ice-making evaporator; an ice-removing refrigerant flow path unit for guiding a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the ice-making evaporator; a refrigerant preheating unit for causing a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to be re-suctioned into the compressor before passing through the condenser; and a control unit for controlling the refrigerant preheating unit.