Ice Maker Water Fill Volume Detection for Consistent Harvest Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ice maker appliances experience inconsistent ice production due to variations in water fill volume and temperature, leading to undesirable ice size, shape, and quantity, as well as excessive freezing times caused by conservative control parameters designed for extreme scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A method for operating an ice maker appliance that estimates the volume of liquid water and determines an adjustment factor or harvest time based on this estimation, allowing for precise control of subsequent water fills and harvest cycles to optimize ice production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conservative control parameters are used to ensure ice formation under extreme conditions (highest incoming water temperature or largest fill volume), then ice production reliability is improved, but freezing time increases excessively and delays overall ice maker operations
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts freezing and harvest parameters based on real-time detection of water fill volume and temperature conditions. Rather than using fixed conservative parameters, the system adapts control settings to match actual cycle conditions, optimizing the balance between reliable ice formation and minimized freezing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes control parameters (freezing time, harvest time, water fill volume) based on detected water conditions. By monitoring actual water fill volume and temperature, the controller modifies operational parameters to achieve optimal ice production performance for each specific cycle condition.
2Productivity
If control parameters are optimized for fastest freezing time, then productivity is improved, but ice quality becomes inconsistent due to variations in water fill volume and temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from water detection mechanisms to adjust control parameters for each cycle. By detecting actual water fill volume and temperature conditions, the controller modifies freezing and harvest timing to ensure consistent ice quality while maintaining high production speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adapts freezing and harvest parameters based on real-time water conditions. This dynamic adjustment ensures that each ice-making cycle is optimized for both speed and quality based on the specific water fill and temperature conditions present.
3Adaptability or versatility
If water fill volume varies from cycle to cycle, then adaptability to different conditions is improved, but ice making performance becomes inconsistent with undesirable variations in size, shape, or quantity
Solution Approach 1:
The system detects actual water fill volume and temperature for each cycle and uses this feedback to adjust control parameters. This ensures that despite variations in water conditions, the ice-making process is optimized for each specific cycle to produce consistent ice quality in terms of size, shape, and quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of water fill volume and temperature conditions before initiating the freezing process. Based on this preliminary information, it pre-adjusts control parameters to ensure optimal ice production performance for the detected conditions.
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 approach enhances ice quality by ensuring consistent size and shape, reduces cycle times, and allows for more efficient ice production by adjusting fill volumes and harvest times based on real-time conditions, thereby improving overall performance.
Implementation Method 1
the mold body and liquid water therein are cooled to freeze the liquid water and thereby form ice
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating an ice maker appliance includes flowing a volume of liquid water into a mold body of the ice maker appliance and forming an ice piece from the volume of liquid water in the mold body of the ice maker appliance. The method also includes estimating a volume of the fill of liquid water. The method may include determining an adjustment factor based on the estimated volume of the fill of liquid water or determining a harvest time based on the estimated volume of the fill of liquid water.