Single-Evaporator Water Purifier for Ice Making and Water Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing water purifiers with ice makers have inefficient energy usage as they only utilize one side of the evaporator for ice making and require separate ice production to cool water, leading to degraded energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A water purifier configuration that circulates water from a cold water tank through a single evaporator for both ice making and water cooling, eliminating the need for separate ice production by using a circulation cooling system with a pump, flow pipe, and valve to manage refrigerant flow, allowing simultaneous ice production and water cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If only one side surface of the evaporator is used for ice making, then the ice making function is achieved, but the energy efficiency is degraded due to unused evaporator surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the ice making surface and the water cooling heat exchanger. By circulating water through channels within the evaporator structure, the same component that freezes ice also cools the water in the cold water tank, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems and improving overall energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the ice making function and water cooling function into a single integrated evaporator system. The water cooling channels are embedded within the evaporator structure, merging two previously separate functions (ice production and water cooling) into one unified thermal management system that uses the refrigerant circulation for both purposes simultaneously.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate ice is made to cool the water in the cold water tank, then the water cooling function is achieved, but the energy efficiency is degraded due to redundant ice production
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator serves dual purposes: producing ice for storage and simultaneously cooling the water in the cold water tank through integrated water cooling channels. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate ice production solely for cooling purposes, as the same evaporator structure provides both ice making and water cooling functions concurrently.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the ice making process itself to provide the cooling effect needed for the cold water tank. The refrigerant circulation that creates ice also cools the water through the integrated channels, allowing the system to serve its own cooling needs without requiring additional separate ice production cycles or dedicated cooling mechanisms.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a circulation cooling system is added to enable simultaneous ice making and water cooling, then the energy efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation cooling system is not added as a separate independent system but is instead integrated within the evaporator structure itself. The water cooling channels are embedded in the evaporator, and the same refrigerant circulation loop serves both ice making and water cooling functions, merging what could have been separate systems into a unified structure that reduces overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaporator is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously performs ice making and water cooling through integrated water cooling channels. This universal design allows a single component to handle multiple thermal management tasks, avoiding the need for additional separate cooling devices and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity despite the enhanced functionality.
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 enhances energy efficiency by enabling simultaneous ice production and water cooling using a single evaporator, eliminating the need for additional ice production and improving overall energy usage.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator in which cold refrigerants heat-exchanged with water and making ice flow
Implementation Method 2
a circulation cooling part configured to circulate water stored in a cold water tank to the evaporator so that the water stored in the cold water tank is cooled by performing a heat exchange with refrigerants flowing in the evaporator
Data Source
AI summary
A water purifier with an ice maker is provided that may include an ice making part (200) having an evaporator (210) and a circulation cooling part (300) that circulates water stored in a cold water tank (310) to the evaporator (210) so that the water stored in the cold water tank (310) is cooled by performing a heat exchange with refrigerant flowing in the evaporator (210). With the configurations as described above, it is possible to simultaneously make ice and cool water using a single evaporator. Therefore, there is no need to make separate ice so as to cool water, thereby making it possible to enhance the energy efficiency of the water purifier with an ice maker.