Ice Making System Pressure-Based De-Icing for Flow Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing ice making refrigeration apparatuses face difficulties due to ice accumulation in the inner pipe, which interrupts the flow of seawater and causes operational issues, with no effective countermeasures available to address this phenomenon.
Innovation Solution
An ice making system that includes a tank, an ice making machine with a cooling chamber, a pump, a de-icing mechanism, and a control device that detects pressure differences to activate the de-icing operation, stops the pump during de-icing to prevent melting, and uses a blade mechanism to disperse ice, along with a refrigerant circuit to perform de-icing operations, ensuring the system can detect and mitigate ice accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the ice making machine operates continuously to make ice, then productivity is improved, but ice accumulation occurs in the inner pipe interrupting flow
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses pressure sensors to detect pressure differences across the inner pipe and provides feedback to the control device. When the pressure difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control device activates the de-icing mechanism to melt accumulated ice, thereby restoring normal flow conditions and enabling continuous reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The de-icing mechanism is activated preemptively when pressure difference indicates early-stage ice accumulation. By detecting pressure changes before complete flow interruption occurs, the system performs preliminary de-icing action to prevent operational disruption and maintain continuous productivity.
2Reliability
If the de-icing mechanism is activated to melt ice, then ice accumulation is eliminated, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device monitors pressure difference continuously and activates the de-icing mechanism only when the pressure difference exceeds the predetermined threshold. This feedback-based control ensures de-icing is performed only when necessary, minimizing energy consumption while maintaining reliable ice flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies de-icing action partially by activating it only when pressure difference indicates ice accumulation, rather than continuous operation. This partial action approach eliminates unnecessary energy consumption while sufficient action is taken to resolve the ice accumulation problem.
3Productivity
If the pump operates at high speed to circulate seawater, then productivity is improved, but ice accumulation occurs more rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensors provide real-time feedback on flow conditions caused by high-speed pump operation. When increased circulation rate causes ice accumulation (detected via pressure difference), the control device activates the de-icing mechanism to counteract the harmful effect, allowing sustained high-productivity operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful effect of rapid ice accumulation (caused by high-speed circulation) into a detectable signal (pressure difference). This pressure signal triggers the de-icing mechanism, which uses thermal energy to melt ice, thereby transforming the problem caused by high productivity into a controlled remediation 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 system effectively detects and addresses ice accumulation by activating the de-icing mechanism based on pressure differences, preventing damage to the blade mechanism and suppressing the recurrence of ice accumulation, allowing continuous operation of the ice making machine.
Implementation Method 1
a de-icing mechanism that performs a de-icing operation of heating the medium to be cooled and melting the ice in the ice making machine
Implementation Method 2
a refrigerant circuit that is formed by connecting, with a refrigerant pipe, a compressor, a heat source-side heat exchanger, an expansion mechanism, and a utilization-side heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
an ice making system includes a tank that stores a medium to be cooled, an ice making machine that cools the medium and makes ice, a pump that circulates the medium between the tank and the ice making machine, a de-icing mechanism that heats the medium and melts the ice in the ice making machine, and a control device that controls operations of the ice making machine, the pump, and the de-icing mechanism. The ice making machine includes a cooling chamber that cools the medium, an inflow port through which the medium flows into the cooling chamber, and a discharge port through which the medium is discharged from the cooling chamber. The control device activates the de-icing mechanism when a pressure difference between a pressure of the medium at the inflow port and a pressure of the medium at the discharge port exceeds a predetermined value.