Refrigeration – Processes – Treating an article
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-07
2001-10-16
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Processes
Treating an article
C062S136000, C062S330000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301904
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to ice delivery systems and in particular to a method and system for the deliver of an aqueous ice slurry.
Aqueous ice slurry generating units and storage systems for such ice slurry are known in the art. Cooling systems incorporating generating units and storage systems of this nature are of interest due to the high cooling capacity of ice slurry.
An ice storage and distribution unit for ice slurry is disclosed in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4912,935 issued on Apr. 3, 1990. The ice storage and distribution unit includes a tank which receives ice slurry generated by an ice generating unit. Ice slurry which enters the tank separates into a brine solution and a floating ice bed on top of the brine solution. An agitator is located near the top of the tank and is operable to scrape the ice bed to discharge ice from the storage tank into an outlet, when it is desired to distribute ice. When the agitator is operated, make-up brine and/or fresh water is added to the outlet to place the ice discharged from the tank back into slurry form. The ice slurry is then fed to a positive displacement or centrifugal pump which delivers the ice slurry to the desired end location.
Although this ice storage and distribution unit works satisfactorily, the high inertia of the tank prevents frequent on/off operation of the agitator to deliver ice slurry. Also, when a positive displacement pump is used, the pump must be started and stopped every time ice is discharged from the tank.
In most cooling systems of this nature, the ice slurry must be delivered to multiple discharge points positioned at various location throughout the system. Thus, depending on the number of discharge points which are discharging ice slurry, the discharge rate of the cooling system may vary. The ice storage and distribution unit described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,935 is not readily adapted for use in a cooling system of this nature since it is difficult to operate the agitator in the tank to deal with the variable discharge rate of the system as discharge points are turned of and on. Also, when only a few discharge points are operational, the velocity of the ice slurry in the delivery line may drop below the critical velocity resulting in separation of the ice and brine in the ice slurry and therefor possible plugging of the delivery line.
It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system for the delivery of ice slurry.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an ice slurry delivery system comprising:
a storage tank to hold an aqueous ice slurry having inlet means to receive fine particles of ice and an aqueous solution;
an ice slurry circulation loop having an inlet and an outlet, both of which are connect to said storage tank, to circulate ice slurry held in said storage tank generally continuously between said inlet and said outlet at a first rate; and
discharge means located along said circulation loop intermediate said inlet and outlet to re-direct some of the ice slurry in said circulation loop to an end use at a second rate less than said first rate.
Preferably, the circulation loop includes an ice slurry conduit and a pump along the ice slurry conduit to circulate ice slurry from the storage tank along the ice slurry conduit between the inlet and outlet and the discharge means is in the form of at least one valved discharge conduit connected to the ice slurry conduit. It is also preferred that pump means is located along at least one of the valved discharge conduits to control the delivery of the ice slurry.
A method of delivering ice is also provided.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an ice slurry delivery system comprising:
an ice slurry circulation loop to circulate ice slurry therethrough generally continuously at a first rate;
discharge means located along said circulation loop intermediate said inlet and outlet to re-direct some of the ice slurry in said circulation loop to an end use at a second rate less than said first rate;
an ice generating unit to generate fine particles of ice in an aqueous solution to create an aqueous ice slurry, said ice generating unit having an outlet connected to said circulation loop to deliver ice slurry thereto and having an inlet connected to the circulation loop to receive ice slurry from said circulation loop; and
a makeup inlet to deliver aqueous solution to said circulation loop.
According to still yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of cooling food product comprising the steps of:
collecting in a mixing zone, an aqueous ice slurry and food product to be cooled;
conveying said ice slurry together with said food product from said storage zone to a separation zone via conduit means to cool said food product; and
separating said food product from said ice slurry in said separation zone.
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Baker & Daniels
Sunwell Engineering Company Limited
Tapolcai William E.
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