US 9,845,982 B2 · Variable-operating point components for cube ice machines

Abstract

An ice maker for forming ice during a cooling cycle, the ice maker having a variable-speed compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator, wherein the variable-speed compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator are in fluid communication by one or more refrigerant lines. The ice maker further includes a freeze plate thermally coupled to the evaporator, a water pump, a sensing device for identifying a state of the cooling cycle, and a controller adapted to control the speed of the variable-speed compressor based on the identified state of the cooling cycle. The ice maker may also include a variable-speed condenser fan which may be controlled by the controller based on the identified state of the cooling cycle. Additionally, the water pump may be a variable-speed water pump which may be controlled by the controller based on the identified state of the cooling cycle.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An ice maker for forming ice during a cooling cycle, the cooling cycle comprising a sensible cooling state and a latent cooling state, the ice maker comprising:

a variable-speed compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator, wherein the variable-speed compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator are in fluid communication by one or more refrigerant lines, and wherein a refrigerant flows through the one or more refrigerant lines;
a freeze plate thermally coupled to the evaporator;
a sump located below the freeze plate;
a water pump for supplying water from the sump to the freeze plate;
a first sensing device adapted to measure a water level in the sump;
a second sensing device adapted to measure a temperature of water in the sump;
and
a controller adapted to identify the state of the cooling cycle based on the temperature of the water in the sump and control the speed of the variable-speed compressor as a function of the temperature of the water in the sump during the sensible cooling state and control the speed of the variable-speed compressor as a function of the water level in the sump during the latent cooling state.

5 more elements

A method of controlling an ice maker for forming ice during a cooling cycle, the cooling cycle comprising a sensible cooling state and a latent cooling state, the ice maker comprising a variable-speed compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator, wherein the variable-speed compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator are in fluid communication by one or more refrigerant lines, and wherein a refrigerant flows through the one or more refrigerant lines;

a freeze plate thermally coupled to the evaporator;
a sump located below the freeze plate;
a water pump for supplying water from the sump to the freeze plate;
a first sensing device adapted to measure a water level in the sump;
a second sensing device adapted to measure a temperature of the water in the sump;
and a controller adapted to control the speed of the variable-speed compressor, the method comprising:
identifying the state of the cooling cycle based on the temperature of the water in the sump;
calculating a first desired compressor speed of the variable-speed compressor as a function of the temperature of the water in the sump during the sensible cooling state;
varying the speed of the variable-speed compressor to the first desired compressor speed during the sensible cooling state thereby varying the mass flow rate of the refrigerant;
calculating a second desired compressor speed of the variable-speed compressor as a function of the water level in the sump during the latent cooling state;
and
varying the speed of the variable-speed compressor to the second desired compressor speed during the latent cooling state thereby varying the mass flow rate of the refrigerant.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Variable-operating point components for cube ice machines

Life of this patent

Variable-operating point components for cube ice machines

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18