Ice Mold Temperature Regulation Using Bypass Refrigerant Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ice making appliances struggle to produce large, clear ice billets efficiently, often resulting in trapped impurities, a cloudy finish, and a risk of thermal shock and cracking due to rapid temperature gradients during the freezing process.
Innovation Solution
An ice making assembly with a refrigeration loop including a condenser and evaporator in serial flow communication, a compressor, and a bypass conduit with a flow regulating device to control refrigerant flow, allowing for precise temperature regulation and reduced thermal shock during the ice harvesting process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If rapid freezing is used to form ice billets, then production speed is improved, but impurities and gases become trapped resulting in cloudy ice
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary freezing at a first temperature to form an initial ice layer that excludes impurities and gases from the bulk ice, then completes freezing at a second temperature. This staged approach prevents trapment of impurities while maintaining production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The freezing process is divided into distinct periodic stages: initial freezing phase at a higher temperature to establish clear ice structure, followed by a second freezing phase at lower temperature to complete the process. This periodic temperature adjustment resolves the contradiction between speed and quality.
2Productivity
If high temperature is applied to release ice from mold, then ice harvesting efficiency is improved, but thermal shock causes cracking of ice billet
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature profile is applied periodically and sequentially: first a high temperature phase to melt the release layer and facilitate ice extraction, then immediately returning to low temperature to prevent cracking. This time-dependent temperature control resolves the contradiction between harvesting efficiency and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
A release layer is formed preliminarily on the ice billet surface during freezing, which acts as a sacrificial layer that facilitates easy release without requiring high temperatures that would cause thermal shock to the main ice body.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If large ice billets are formed, then melt rate is reduced for slower melting, but more time and energy are required to freeze the larger mass
Solution Approach 1:
The system forms a preliminary ice structure with optimized geometry and impurity distribution that achieves the desired slow-melting characteristics of large ice while reducing the total mass and freezing time required compared to conventional large-billet formation.
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 rapid and reliable production of substantially clear ice billets while minimizing the risk of cracking and ensuring efficient energy use by regulating the mold temperature and controlling the refrigerant flow to prevent thermal shock.
Implementation Method 1
a refrigeration loop including a condenser and an evaporator in serial flow communication with each other, the evaporator being in thermal communication with the ice mold
Implementation Method 2
the evaporator being in thermal communication with the ice mold
Implementation Method 3
a flow regulating device is positioned on the refrigeration loop at the first junction and is configured for directing a portion of the flow of refrigerant through the bypass conduit
Data Source
AI summary
An ice making assembly includes an ice mold defining a mold cavity and a refrigeration loop having an evaporator in thermal communication with the ice mold. A compressor is operably coupled to the refrigeration loop for circulating a flow of refrigerant through the refrigerant loop to cool the evaporator and the ice mold. After ice is formed, a flow regulating device may divert a portion of the flow of refrigerant around the condenser through a bypass conduit to slowly increase a temperature of the refrigerant within the evaporator.