Refrigeration – Means producing shaped or modified congealed product – With means to precool or recirculate raw material
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-08
2001-05-29
Tapolcai, William E. (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Means producing shaped or modified congealed product
With means to precool or recirculate raw material
C062S506000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237359
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a subcool and/or precool system for the liquid refrigerant and/or hot gas discharge refrigerant of an ice machine that utilizes the harvest water and/or melt water from said ice machine for purposes of increasing the capacity and efficiency of said ice machine.
The present invention further relates to a system for capturing the harvest and/or melt water for utilization in the subcool/precool system.
The present invention also relates to a system for controlling the flow of said harvest and/or melt water through heat exchangers for purposes of subcooling and/or precooling the refrigerant.
The present invention additionally relates to a system for utilizing the harvest and/or melt water as a heat sink (no active pumping) for said subcooling and/or precooling of the refrigerant.
The present invention also further relates to a system for using excess refrigeration capability due to subcooling for purposes of precooling the incoming water supply.
Still further, the present invention relates to a system for using excess refrigeration capability due to subcooling for purposes of chilling the ice holding compartment to prevent excessive melt or degradation of ice that has already been produced.
Finally, the present invention relates to a method for downsizing the compressor of an ice machine to more closely match the refrigeration capability of the ice making plate with the additional capability due to the subcooling taken into account.
This invention more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising a harvest and/or melt water-cooled subcooler positioned between a conventional air source or water source ice machine condenser and the evaporator. This invention also more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising a harvest and/or melt water cooled precooler positioned between the compressor discharge of a conventional air source or water source ice machine and the condenser for said ice machine.
Next, this invention more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method whereby said harvest and/or melt water may be used first in said subcooler and then subsequently used in said precooler.
Additionally, this invention more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising a reservoir for capturing and storing said harvest and/or melt water.
This invention also more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising a pump and controls for purposes of directing and controlling the flow of said harvest and/or melt water through said subcooler and/or precooler heat exchangers.
This invention alternately more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method to direct said harvest and/or melt water into heat sink reservoirs for purposes of subcooling and/or precooling the refrigerant of an ice machine, without the use of directed flow heat exchangers.
This invention additionally more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising an incoming water precooler positioned between the incoming water supply and the water control valve or after the water control valve but before the ice machine water reservoir and that is further positioned in the refrigerant circuit between the outlet of the ice making evaporator and the inlet to the compressor, whereby excess refrigeration effect due to subcooling may be used to precool the incoming water supply to said ice machine.
Also, this invention more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising a secondary evaporator positioned between the outlet of the ice making evaporator and the inlet to the compressor, whereby excess refrigeration effect due to subcooling may be used to cool the ice holding compartment of the ice machine system.
Finally, this invention also more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising the downsizing of the compressor of an ice machine to more closely match the ice production capability of the ice making evaporator to a compressor sized for the refrigeration capacity capability due to the subcooling accomplished by the harvest and/or melt water.
2. Description of the Background Art
Presently there exist many types of devices designed to operate in the thermal transfer cycle. The vapor-compression refrigeration cycle is the pattern cycle for the great majority of commercially available ice machine systems. This thermal transfer cycle is customarily accomplished by a compressor, condenser, throttling device and evaporator connected in serial fluid communication with one another. The system is charged with refrigerant, which circulates through each of the components. More particularly, the refrigerant of the system circulates through each of the components to remove heat from the evaporator and transfer heat to the condenser. The compressor compresses the refrigerant from a low-pressure superheated vapor state to a high-pressure superheated vapor state thereby increasing the temperature, enthalpy and pressure of the refrigerant. A superheated vapor is a vapor that has been heated above its boiling point temperature. It leaves the compressor and enters the condenser as a vapor at some elevated pressure where the refrigerant is condensed as a result of the heat transfer to cooling water and/or to ambient air. The refrigerant then flows through the condenser condensing the refrigerant at a substantially constant pressure to a saturated-liquid state. The refrigerant then leaves the condenser as a high pressure liquid. The pressure of the liquid is decreased as it flows through the expansion valve causing the refrigerant to change to a mixed liquid-vapor state. The remaining liquid, now at low pressure, is vaporized in the evaporator as a result of heat transfer from the refrigerated space. This vapor then enters the compressor to complete the cycle. The ideal cycle and hardware schematic for vapor compression refrigeration is shown in
FIG. 1
as cycle
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
1
. More particularly, the process representation in
FIG. 1
is represented by a pressure-enthalpy diagram, which illustrates the particular thermodynamic characteristics of a typical refrigerant. The P-h plane is particularly useful in showing the amounts of energy transfer as heat. Referring to
FIG. 1
, saturated vapor at low pressure enters the compressor and undergoes a reversible adiabatic compression,
1
-
2
. Adiabatic refers to any change in which there is no gain or loss of heat. Heat is then rejected at constant pressure in process
2
-
3
. An adiabatic pressure change occurs through the expansion device in process
3
-
4
, and the working fluid is then evaporated at constant pressure, process
4
-
1
, to complete the cycle. However, the actual refrigeration cycle may deviate from the ideal cycle primarily because of pressure drops associated with fluid flow and heat transfer to or from the surroundings. It is readily apparent that the temperature of the liquid refrigerant plays an important role in the potential for removing heat in the evaporator phase of the thermal cycle. The colder the liquid refrigerant entering the evaporator, the greater the possible change in enthalpy or heat energy absorbed per unit mass of liquid available for vaporization and the colder the liquid refrigerant entering the expansion device leading to the evaporator, the lower the flash gas loss, which means a higher portion or percentage of mass is available for vaporization through the evaporator. Finally, it is readily apparent that rapid precooling of the hot gas discharge from a compressor lowers power consumption, reduces heat discharge by an air cooled condenser, improves compressor efficiency and improves the primary condenser's performance. Many such devices and methods currently exist that are designed to accomplish this subcooling and precooling.
However, these known methods and devices have drawbacks. The drawbacks include high cost of accomplishing the subcooling and/or precooling, and/or the ineffectiveness or degrading effectiveness of the subcooling and/or precooling, method and/or dev
Holland & Knight LLP
Tapolcai William E.
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