Flake ice machine

An apparatus for freezing a liquid material to produce substantially solid flakes of material, comprising:

• a cooling member defining a cooling surface and a plurality of internal refrigerant flow passages, each passage defining an inlet and an outlet, wherein the cooling member comprises a rotatable disk;
• liquid introduction means for introducing liquid material onto a portion of the cooling surface, wherein the liquid introduction means introduces liquid material to at least a 225.degree. wetted sector of the cooling surface;
• refrigerant supply means for supplying an excess of evaporative liquid refrigerant to the inlets of the passages whereby a portion of the liquid refrigerant evaporates within each passage to freeze the liquid material introduced onto the cooling surface, and a remaining portion of the liquid refrigerant flows from the outlet of each passage in the liquid state;
• receiver means for receiving evaporated and liquid refrigerant from the outlets of the cooling member flow passages;
• removal means for removing the frozen material from the cooling surface;
• and
• means for mounting the cooling member, liquid introduction means and removal means to rotate the cooling member relative to the liquid introduction means and removal means, so that the cooling surface is cyclically exposed to the liquid introduction means and then the removal means.

An apparatus for freezing a liquid material to produce substantially solid flakes of material, comprising:

• a cooling member defining a cooling surface and a plurality of internal refrigerant flow passages, each passage defining an inlet and an outlet;
• liquid introduction means for introducing liquid material onto a portion of the cooling surface;
• refrigerant supply means for supplying an excess of evaporative liquid to the inlets of the passages whereby a portion of the liquid refrigerant evaporates within each passage to freeze the liquid material introduced onto the cooling surface, and a remaining portion of the liquid refrigerant flows from the outlet of each passage in the liquid state;
• receiver means for receiving evaporated and liquid refrigerant from the outlets of the cooling member flow passages;
• removal means for removing the frozen material from the cooling surface;
• means for mounting the cooling member, liquid introduction means and removal means to rotate the cooling member relative to the liquid introduction means and removal means, so that the cooling surface is cyclically exposed to the liquid introduction means and then the removal means;
• and
• salinity control means for automatically controlling the salinity of the liquid material by regulating the introduction of a salt to the liquid material before the liquid material is introduced to the cooling surface.

An apparatus for freezing a liquid material to produce substantially solid flakes of material, comprising:

• a cooling member defining a cooling surface and a plurality of internal refrigerant flow passages, each passage defining an inlet and an outlet;
• liquid introduction means for introducing liquid material onto a portion of the cooling surface;
• a refrigerant supply system for supplying an excess of evaporative liquid refrigerant to the inlets of the passages so that a portion of the liquid refrigerant evaporates within each passage to freeze the liquid material introduced onto the cooling surface, and a remaining portion of the liquid refrigerant flows from the outlet of each passage in the liquid state;
• receiver means for receiving evaporated and liquid refrigerant from the outlets of the cooling member flow passages;
• removal means for removing the frozen material from the cooling surface;
• means for mounting the cooling member, liquid introduction means and removal means to rotate the cooling member relative to the liquid introduction means and removal means, so that the cooling surface is cyclically exposed to the liquid introduction means and then the removal means;
• and
• salinity control means for automatically controlling the salinity of the liquid material by regulating the introduction of a salt to the liquid material before the liquid material is introduced to the cooling surface, wherein the salinity control means comprises:
• a holding tank containing liquid material to be introduced to the cooling surface;
• a reservoir containing liquid material saturated with the salt;
• and
• means for automatically regulating the flow of saturated liquid material from the reservoir to the holding tank to adjust the salinity of the liquid material in the holding tank.

An apparatus for freezing a liquid material to produce substantially solid flakes of material, comprising:

• a cooling member defining a cooling surface and a plurality of internal refrigerant flow passages, each passage defining an inlet and an outlet, wherein the cooling member comprises a rotatable disk;
• liquid introduction means for introducing liquid material onto a portion of the cooling surface,
• refrigerant supply means for supplying an excess of evaporative liquid refrigerant to the inlets of the passages whereby a portion of the liquid refrigerant evaporates within each passage to freeze the liquid material introduced onto the cooling surface, and a remaining portion of the liquid refrigerant flows from the outlet of each passage in the liquid state;
• receiver means for receiving evaporated and liquid refrigerant from the outlets of the cooling member flow passages;
• removal means for removing the frozen material from the cooling surface, wherein the removal means comprises:
• at least one removal blade;
• mounting means for mounting the removal blade to nominally position an edge of the blade adjacent the cooling surface for removal of frozen material, the mounting means also enabling deflection of the edge of the blade away from nominal position in response to variations in the cooling surface and the frozen material adhered to the cooling surface;
• and
• means for mounting the cooling member, liquid introduction means and removal means to rotate the cooling member relative to the liquid introduction means and removal means, so that the cooling surface is cyclically exposed to the liquid introduction means and then the removal means.

An apparatus for freezing a liquid material to produce substantially solid flakes of material, comprising:

• a cooling member defining a cooling surface and a plurality of internal refrigerant flow passages, each passage defining an inlet and an outlet;
• liquid introduction means for introducing liquid material onto a portion of the cooling surface;
• a refrigerant supply system for supplying an excess of evaporative liquid refrigerant to the inlets of the passages so that a portion of the liquid refrigerant evaporates within each passage to freeze the liquid material introduced onto the cooling surface, and a remaining portion of the liquid refrigerant flows from the outlet of each passage in the liquid state;
• a receiver for receiving evaporated and liquid refrigerant from the outlets of the cooling member flow passages;
• removal means for removing the frozen material from the cooling system, wherein the removal means comprises at least one resilient removal blade and mounting means for mounting the removal blade, the mounting means nominally positioning an edge of the resilient blade adjacent the cooling surface for removal of frozen material, the resilient blade resiliently flexible whereby the edge is deflected away from its nominal position, in response to variations in the cooling surface and the frozen material adhered to the cooling surface, and then returned to the nominal position;
• and
• means for mounting the cooling member, liquid introduction means and removal means to rotate the cooling member relative to the liquid introduction means and removal means, so that the cooling surface is cyclically exposed to the liquid introduction means and then the removal means.

An apparatus for freezing a liquid material to produce substantially solid flakes of material, comprising:

• a cooling member defining a cooling surface and a plurality of internal refrigerant flow passages, each passage defining an inlet and an outlet;
• liquid introduction means for introducing liquid material onto a portion of the cooling surface;
• a refrigerant supply system for supplying an excess of evaporative liquid refrigerant to the inlets of the passages so that a portion of the liquid refrigerant evaporates within each passage to freeze the liquid material introduced onto the cooling surface, and a remaining portion of the liquid refrigerant flows from the outlet of each passage in the liquid state;
• a receiver for receiving evaporated and liquid refrigerant from the outlets of the cooling member flow passages;
• removal means for removing the frozen material from the cooling surface, wherein the removal means comprises:
• at least one removal blade;
• mounting means for mounting the removal blade to nominally position an edge of the blade adjacent the cooling surface for removal of frozen material, the mounting means also enabling deflection of the edge of the blade away from nominal position in response to variations in the cooling surface and the frozen material adhered to the cooling surface wherein the edge of the removal blade is disposed at an angle of 45.degree. or less with respect to the cooling surface;
• and
• means for mounting the cooling member, liquid introduction means and removal means to rotate the cooling member relative to the liquid introduction means and removal means, so that the cooling surface is cyclically exposed to the liquid introduction means and then the removal means.

A method for freezing a liquid material to produce substantially solid flakes of material, comprising:

• introducing liquid material from a liquid material supply onto a portion of a cooling surface defined by a cooling member having a plurality of internal refrigerant flow passages, each passage defining an inlet port and an outlet port;
• supplying an excess of evaporative liquid refrigerant to the inlet ports of the passages so that a portion of the liquid refrigerant evaporates within each passage to freeze the liquid material introduced to the cooling surface and a remaining portion of the liquid refrigerant flows from the outlet port of each passage in the liquid state;
• receiving evaporated and liquid refrigerant from the outlet ports of the flow passages;
• removing frozen material with a removal tool from the cooling surface of the cooling member;
• and
• rotating the cooling member relative to the liquid material supply and removal tool, so that the cooling surface is cyclically exposed to liquid material introduction and then removal of the frozen material, further comprising the step of automatically controlling the salinity of the liquid material by regulating the introduction of a salt to the liquid material before the liquid material is introduced to the cooling surface of the cooling member.

A method for freezing a liquid material to produce substantially solid flakes of material, comprising:

• introducing liquid material from a liquid material supply onto a portion of a cooling surface defined by a cooling member having a plurality of internal refrigerant flow passages, each passage defining an inlet port and an outlet port;
• supplying an excess of evaporative liquid refrigerant to the inlet ports of the passages so that a portion of the liquid refrigerant evaporates within each passage to freeze the liquid material introduced to the cooling surface and a remaining portion of the liquid refrigerant flows from the outlet port of each passage in the liquid state;
• receiving evaporated and liquid refrigerant from the outlet ports of the flow passages;
• removing frozen material with a removal tool from the cooling surface of the cooling member;
• and
• rotating the cooling member relative to the liquid material supply and removal tool, so that the cooling surface is cyclically exposed to liquid material introduction and then removal of the frozen material, wherein the step of removing frozen material from the cooling surface of the cooling member includes the mounting of a resilient removal blade so that an edge of the blade is nominally positioned adjacent the cooling surface for removal of frozen material, the blade being resiliently flexible to deflect the edge of the blade away from the nominal position in response to variations in the cooling surface and frozen material adhered to the cooling surface.