JPH0868578A - Manufacture of ice piece - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To efficiently manufacture ice pieces by dividing the ice layer of a flexible hose surface from which a spiral protrusion protrudes by the expansion deforming force of the hose when the layer reaches a predetermined thickness, and manufacturing the pieces by separating and scissoring it from the hose surface, thereby enhancing the pressure in the hose. CONSTITUTION: When low-temperature refrigerant is circulated in a flexible hose l from which a spiral protrusion 11 protrudes to the outer periphery, the hose surface is cooled to a temperature below an icing point or lower, the water in contact with the surface of the hose 1 is frozen to form an ice layer 7. If the layer 7 is grown in a desired thickness, when the pressure in the hose 1 is raised, the hose 1 is elongated while being twisted in a return direction of the twist of the protrusion 11 of the outer periphery to increase its diameter. In this case, the layer 7 is cracked 8 in a longitudinal direction. When the diameter of the hose 1 is enlarged, craze 81 is generated laterally between the cracks 8, the layer 7 is scissored and separated from the surface of the hose. The layer 7 becomes ice pieces which are floated on the water surface.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing ice chips.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In building heating and cooling, night electricity is used to make ice for cooling in the summer and hot water for heating in the winter to store heat, which is used as the main heat source for daytime air conditioning. The ice storage type air-conditioning system is used.

In the ice making method of the above system, a low-temperature refrigerant is mainly passed through an ice making body such as a metal tube or a panel immersed in a water tank to form an ice layer on the surface of the ice making body. However, in the above ice making method, in order to separate the ice layer from the ice making body, the ice making body has to be heated once to melt the inner surface of the ice layer in contact with the ice making body, resulting in a large heat loss.

[0004]

Therefore, the applicant has decided to immerse a flexible hose filled with a low-temperature refrigerant in a water tank to freeze water in contact with the surface of the hose in a layered manner, and when the ice layer grows to a predetermined thickness. Then, the pressure inside the hose was increased to expand and deform the hose, and it was attempted to peel off the ice layer by this expanding and deforming force.

When an experiment was conducted with a hose having a general shape having no undulation in the axial direction, there was no problem in forming an ice layer on the surface of the hose. Cracks occurred (hereinafter, the axial direction of the hose is defined as a lateral direction). However, the cracked ice layer did not spontaneously peel off the hose and had to be scraped off.

The Applicant believes that the ice layer must be split in the longitudinal direction so as to divide the ice layer in the longitudinal direction in order to spontaneously separate from the hose. As shown in FIG. The above-described ice making experiment was performed by winding a metal wire (13) around the outer circumference of the hose (1a) at a predetermined interval.

When the hose is expanded, the ice layer on the surface of the hose
At the winding position of the metal wire (13) in (7), a crack is formed in the vertical direction.
(8) occurred, and a crack (81) was generated in the lateral direction between the crack (8) and the crack (8). However, the ice layer (7) did not naturally peel off from the hose (1a).

[0008] An ice making experiment was conducted by spirally winding a metal wire, but in the same manner as described above, cracks were formed in the ice layer in the longitudinal direction.
Although cracks occurred in the lateral direction, the ice layer did not peel off from the hose.

As shown in FIG. 5, discs (1) are arranged at substantially equal intervals on the outer periphery.
The above ice making experiment was conducted using the flexible hose (1b) fitted with 4). An ice layer (7) was formed between the disks (14) and (14), and when the hose (1b) was expanded, cracks occurred in the ice layer (7) between the disks (14) and (14). . However, the ice layer did not detach from the hose. When the hose was bent in a U-shape, only the ice layer outside the arc was spontaneously separated from the hose.

As shown in FIG. 6, the above-mentioned experiment was conducted using a flexible hose (1c) fitted with a short resin tube (15) on the outer periphery at equal intervals. After forming the ice layer (7) on the surface of the hose, when the pressure inside the hose was increased, cracks (8
1) occurs and the pressure inside the hose is further increased, the resin cylinder (15)
A crack (8) was formed at a portion corresponding to, but the ice layer was not separated from the hose.

According to the present invention, an ice layer formed on a hose surface is
The purpose of this study is to clarify the production method of ice pieces that can be naturally peeled off from the hose simply by increasing the pressure inside the hose.

[0012]

Means for Solving the Problems A flexible hose (1) integrally formed with a projecting strip (11) spirally formed on the outer peripheral surface is immersed in a water tank (2), and the hose is placed in the hose (1). A refrigerant that cools the surface to below the freezing point is flowed to form an ice layer (7) on the hose surface. When the ice layer (7) reaches the desired thickness, the internal pressure of the flexible hose (1) is increased. Inflate and deform.

[0013]

[Operation and Effect] The surface of the hose is cooled to a temperature below the freezing point by the low-temperature refrigerant circulating in the flexible hose (1), and the water in contact with the surface of the flexible hose (1) freezes to form an ice layer.
(7) is formed. When the ice layer (7) has grown to a desired thickness, the pressure in the hose (1) is increased. Flexible hose (1)
Extends while twisting in the direction in which the spiral ridge (11) on the outer periphery returns, and the diameter further increases. When the hose is twisted and stretched, the ice layer (7) has a longitudinal crack (8).

When the diameter of the hose is increased, a crack (81) is generated in a lateral direction between the cracks (8) and (8) of the ice layer (7), and the ice layer is separated from the hose surface. Peel off. As described above, the ice layer (7) has peeled off from the hose surface, and when a crack (8) occurs in the vertical direction and a crack (81) occurs in the horizontal direction, the ice layer (7) is removed.
(7) becomes ice pieces and floats on the surface of the water.

To remove the ice layer (7) from the surface of the hose,
There is no need to heat the hose and there is no heat loss. Further, no manpower is required for peeling off the ice layer (7). It takes a short time to increase the pressure in the flexible hose (1) until the ice pieces float to the surface of the water, and the ice pieces can be efficiently produced by repeating the above operation.

[0016]

FIG. 1 shows an example of an experimental apparatus for explaining an ice making method. A flexible hose (1) bent in a U-shape is immersed in a water tank (2), and a refrigerant circulation line (3) is connected.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible hose (1) is made of, for example, soft vinyl chloride, and is formed by winding a hard vinyl chloride (12) in a spiral shape and embedding the resin into the resin. The layers form a spiral ridge (11). The circulation pipe (3) is provided with a circulation pump (33),
From the discharge port (33a) of (33), the inflow port (1) of the flexible hose (1)
Up to 3) are the inlet line (31) and the outlet (14) of the flexible hose (1)
From the suction port (33b) of the circulation pump (33) to the outflow conduit
(32).

A part of the inflow pipe (31) is a cooler (34) constituting a part of the refrigerator (4). In the inflow line (31),
A check valve (35) is provided near the inflow port (13) of the flexible hose (1) to allow flow to the inflow port side. A solenoid valve (36) is provided in the outflow conduit (32) close to the outlet (14) of the flexible hose (1), and a pipe (38) is provided downstream of the solenoid valve (36). The expansion tank (37) is connected via ().

A bypass line (5) connects the downstream side of the check valve (35) of the inflow line (31) and the downstream side of the expansion tank (37) of the outflow line (32). A pressurizing pump (51) is provided in the bypass pipe (5), and the pressurizing pump (51) and the inflow pipe are provided.
A check valve (52) that allows a flow toward the inflow pipe (31) is provided between the check valve and the check valve (31). The flexible hose (1), the circulation line (3) and the bypass line (5) are filled with a refrigerant.

However, the circulation pump (33) and the refrigerator (4) are operated with the solenoid valve (36) of the circulation pipe (3) open, and the circulation pipe (3) and the flexible hose (1) are ) Between the refrigerant.

The blanket cooled by the refrigerator (4) flows into the flexible hose (1), so that the flexible hose
Water freezes on the surface of (1) and an ice layer (7) is formed.

When the ice layer (7) has grown to a desired thickness, the operation of the circulation pump (33) is stopped and the solenoid valve (36) is closed. Operate the pressurizing pump (51) in the bypass line (5), and
The refrigerant is pumped to (1). There is no escape of the refrigerant inside the flexible hose (1), and the hose (1) expands and deforms due to the internal pressure.

The flexible hose (1) is first of all provided with a spiral ridge on the outer circumference.
The torsion of (11) expands while twisting in the returning direction, and the diameter further increases. When the hose stretches while twisting, the ice layer (7) separates from the surface of the hose and a crack (8) occurs in the longitudinal direction. When the diameter of the hose expands, lateral cracks (81) occur between the cracks (8) in the ice layer (7) and the ice layer (7) is separated from the hose surface. To do.

As described above, the ice layer (7) is separated from the hose surface, and has cracks (8) in the vertical direction and cracks (8) in the horizontal direction.
When 1) occurs, the ice layer (7) becomes ice fragments and floats on the water surface. It is not necessary to heat the hose to remove the ice layer (7) from the hose surface and there is no heat loss. Further, no manpower is required for peeling off the ice layer (7).

After increasing the pressure in the flexible hose (1),
The time required for the ice pieces to float to the surface of the water is short, and by repeating the above operation, the ice pieces can be produced efficiently.

Experimental Example Flexible hose Inner diameter 25 mm Outer diameter (maximum diameter of ridge) 31.6 mm Ice temperature of refrigerant passing through flexible hose -25 ° C Thickness of ice layer after 2 hours Average 13. Expansion of a 25 mm flexible hose 8 kgf / cm ² pressure-feeding refrigerant 5 vertical cracks were generated at intervals of about 5 cm, then split in half and separated from the hose and floated on the water surface

The ice making time is shortened, and the thickness of the ice layer is 6.
When the internal pressure of the hose was increased at 15 mm, it was about 3 kgf / cm ² and ice pieces were peeled off from the hose.

FIG. 3 shows an example of an ice making apparatus including the process up to the recovery of ice chips. A water tank (2) is provided on the ice recovery tank (6). In the water tank (2), a plurality of the flexible hoses (1) are installed in a substantially horizontal plane, and each flexible hose (1) has a circulation conduit (3) including the refrigerator (4) and The bypass line (5) is connected.

A recovery pipe (64) is vertically installed upright in the center of the water tank (2), the lower end of which is opened to the ice recovery tank (6), and the upper end is the center of the pan (63) whose outer periphery is highly inclined. Connect to the bottom. At the upper end opening of the collection pipe (64), a plug (65) that moves up and down by a motor (68) and opens and closes the opening is provided.

The ice collecting tank (6) is formed by a net-like chute (62) whose collection pipe (64) side is inclined at a high angle.
It is divided into (60) and the upper ice storage chamber (61). The ice storage chamber (61) is provided with an outlet (69) with a lid. The lower part of the water storage chamber (60) of the ice recovery tank (6) and the upper part of the water tank (2) are connected by a pumping pipe (66) provided with a pumping pump (67).

As described above, the ice pieces separated from the surface of the flexible hose (1) and floating on the water surface are recovered from the saucer (63) together with water when the plug body (65) is opened. It falls through the pipe (64) to the ice recovery tank (6).

Water passes through the mesh chute (62) and is stored in the water storage chamber (60), and the ice pieces slide down to the lower side of the mesh chute (62). Only ice pieces can be taken out from the outlet (69).

The above-mentioned ice making device does not require a heating device for separating the ice layer from the ice making base as in the prior art, and can be simply configured and manufactured at low cost. Because the configuration is simple,
It has few failures and has a long life.

It should be noted that, without using the special device as described above,
The flexible hose (1) can be dipped in a pond or pool to make ice. Of course, the ice pieces produced by the present invention can be used for various purposes such as heat storage for air conditioning, materials for artificial snow scattered on artificial ski resorts, and cold storage ice for fresh fish.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an experimental apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a flexible hose with a part shown in section.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the ice making device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a flexible hose of a first failure example.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a flexible hose of a second failure example.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a flexible hose of a third failure example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (1) Flexible hose (11) Ridge (2) Water tank (3) Circulation pipeline (4) Refrigerator (5) Bypass pipeline (6) Ice recovery tank

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A flexible hose (1) integrally formed with a spiral projection (11) on the outer peripheral surface thereof is immersed in a water tank (2), and the hose surface is placed inside the hose (1). By circulating a refrigerant that cools below the freezing point to form an ice layer (7) on the surface of the hose, and when the ice layer (7) reaches the desired thickness, increase the internal pressure of the flexible hose (1) to increase the hose. A method for producing ice pieces, which comprises inflating and deforming, breaking the ice layer (7) on the surface of the hose by the expansion and deforming force of the hose, and separating and separating from the hose surface to produce ice pieces.