US3759061A

US3759061A - Tube ice generator

Info

Publication number: US3759061A
Application number: US00178029A
Authority: US
Inventors: N Nilsson; J Eurenius
Original assignee: Stal Refrigeration AB
Current assignee: Stal Refrigeration AB
Priority date: 1971-09-07
Filing date: 1971-09-07
Publication date: 1973-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-18

Abstract

Ice generator in which water is frozen in tubes extending vertically within a surrounding casing defining a freezing chamber spaced above the bottom of which is a distributor plate having apertures surrounding the tubes and defining a separate chamber into which a warm gas is passed to heat the tubes to cause the ice rods to slide therefrom.

Description

United States Patent 1 Nilsson et al.

[451 Sept. 18, 1973 TUBE ICE GENERATOR [75] Inventors: Nils Edvin Folke Nilsson; Jimmie Arne Eurcnius, both of Norrkoping,

Sweden [73] Assignee: STAL Refrigeration AB,

Norrkoping, Sweden 22 Filed: Sept. 7, 1971 211 App]. No.: 178,029

[52] US. Cl. 62/352, 62/348 [51] Int. Cl. F25c 5/10 [58] Field of Search 62/72, 352, 348;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,721,452 12/1955 Brandin et al. 62/348 7/1906 Towne 165/159 12/1924 Parkinson .1 98/33 R Primary ExaminerWilliam E. Wayner Assistant Examiner-William E. Tapolcai, Jr. Att0rney-Munson & Fiddler [57] ABSTRACT lce generator in which water is frozen in tubes extending vertically within a surrounding casing defining a freezing chamber spaced above the bottom of which is a distributor plate having apertures surrounding the tubes and defining a separate chamber into which a warm gas is passed to heat the tubes to cause the ice rods to slide therefrom.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Patbnted Sept. 18, 1973 INVENTURS Nils Edvin Folkc iii 15 15:7, and Jimmie Arne Eurenlu lUi-JSON & FIDDLER,

Attorneys 1 ne eu GENERATOR BACKGROUND THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a tube ice generator for the productionof ice by freezing water which flows downwardly along theinner walls of substantially. vertical tubes which are attached between two tube plates and surrounded by a chamberinside a casing in which chamber a liquid refrigerant is vaporized while absorb.- ing heat from the water flowing down the tubes, after which the ice thus formed is loosened from the tube walls by supplying warm coolant in gaseous form:

For the purpose of increasing the capacity of the gen.- erator and for improving the quality of the ice it is important to reduce the time required to loosen the ice rods to a minimum.

This time element is largely dependent on the even d t n of h g P e su e gas in the cha b or spaces between the tubes and the casing and provisions should be made to assure a concentrated supply of heat to the lower ends of the tubes. This is primarily due to the fact that the lower tube plate 3 must be heated to the melting point of the ice before the, part of the ice rod at the outlet of the tube will loosen. Concentration of heat at the lower ends of the tubes can be effected BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.

The inveu en is llu rated in h eeeuipe ih drawings where F IG? 1 shew e ee g ne a in e g tudiua! sestion and 1 FIG. 2 shows a part of the same drawn to a slightly larger scale.

. 1 designates vertical tubes which are attached between two

tube plates

2, 3 and surrounded by a chamber 4 within a casing 5.-

Water is supplied at the upper ends of the tubes ,1 from a conduit 6. The water flowsthrough the interior of the tubes and freezes to ice due to vaporization of the refrigerant in the chamber'd. The water which does not freeze is collected in a container -7 and pumped by a pump 8 through the tube 6 back to the inlet of

tubes

9 and 10 designate conduits for the refrigerant medium to and from the chamber 4.

When the ice tube has formed to the desired thickness, the pump 8 is stopped. During the freezing cycle the valves 11, 12in the

conduits

9, 10 to the low pressure side are open and the valves l3, 14 in conduits l5, 16, which connect the tube ice generator to the high pressure side of the coolant compressor, are closed.

When the pump 8 has been stopped the valve 12 is closed and the valve 14 opened. Liquid refrigerant from the chamber 4 is thus pressed through the valve 11 to a liquid separator, not shown. When all the liquid has been'evaporated or purged from the eharnber 4, valves 1 l and 14 are closed, valve l3opened and an ice knife 11 carried by the shaft 20 brought to rotate by the me 21- i Secured to the end of the shaft below the knife 17 is a centrifugal basket 22 for receiving the cut icepieces and from which they may be ejected through the outlet chute 23.

According to the invention, a distributor plate 18 is provided which has holes for aecommodating the tubes and which is attached to the casing 5 and arranged above the lower tube plate 3 which is arranged at the bottom ends of the tubes 1 anddefines a second or bottom chamber 4b. These holes have a diameter greater than the outer diameter of the tubes 1 so that annular gaps 19 are provided around the tubes, the areasof the gaps around the centrally located tubes being greater than the area of the gaps around the outer tubes,

The gh pressu gas w ich s e in throu h the valve 13 enters a space between the tube plate 3., and distributor platelS and then through the gaps 19 along the outside surfaces of the tubes 1. The ice rods are thus thawed loose and drop down to be cut and remo ed The high pressure drops at the gaps produce an even distribution of the gas to each gap and in this way a concentrated and uniform heat supply is obt ined,resu in in a i m heating 9 ach tub end, 1 .ie generators having many tubes the flow resistance .of the se betw n the tubes m y nfluen e t d t ution emu h e This ca e e hpeu a ed y mak the gap ground t ent tubes la ge han the gap hreuhd t e u nding tube e him 1,- ube .i e ato er th Predu tieu of e y free ng wa r. id e ra or ompr sing a y ic ve t eell ar ed easi havi be plates a the p and bottom and vertical tubes therebetween, means for passing ate h ush said tubes; e n or Supp ying low iqui P essu e ri er nt t a ma h b et ee a d ea g an ai u s, uiu bw pr ssur frigerant being, vaporized while absorbing heat from the water flowing down through the tubes, means for supplying gaseous warm high pressure refrigerant to said chamber, a distributor plate located above the bottom plate of. the main, chamber, said distributor plate having holes for the tubes, said holes having a diameter which is greater than the outer diameter of the tubes. so that annular gaps are formed around the tubes, said distributor plate forming a second chamber between the bottom plate and the distributor plate, and means for supplying .warm high pressure refrigerant to said second chamber, said warm highpressure refrigerant escaping into the main chamber through'said distributor plate.

2. Tube ice generator according to claim 1, the areas of t e gaps around the central tubes being greater than the areas of the gaps around the outer tubes.

3. In a refrigeration system including'a low pressure side and a high pressure side, an ice generator comprismg e e si g; i

b. a plurality of open-ended tubes spaced vertieally e. passage means for circulating refrigerant from the low pressure side through said freezing chamber in a freezing cycle to freeze the water in said tubes;

f. passage means for passing gaseousvrefrigerant from g. a distributor plate extending across said casing at a spaced distance above the bottom plate defining a bottom chamber therebetween;

h. said distributor plate having apertures surrounding said tubes of a larger diamter than the tubes to provide gaps therebetween;

'. passage means for passing gaseous warm refrigerant in a heating cycle from the high pressuresideinto said bottom chamber and through said apertures to cause the ice rods to slide from the tubes, and

j. valve means for connecting said passage means cyclically to the respective cycles.

Claims

1. Tube ice generator for the production of ice by freezing water, said generator comprising a cylindrical, vertically arranged casing having tube plates at the top and bottom and vertical tubes therebetween, means for passing water through said tubes, means for supplying low liquid pressure refrigerant to a main chamber between said casing and said tubes, said low pressure refrigerant being vaporized while absorbing heat from the water flowing down through the tubes, means for supplying gaseous warm high pressure refrigerant to said chamber, a distributor plate located above the bottom plate of the main chamber, said distributor plate having holes for the tubes, said holes having a diameter which is greater than the outer diameter of the tubes so that annular gaps are formed around the tubes, said distributor plate forming a second chamber between the bottom plate and the distributor plate, and means for supplying warm high pressure refrigerant to said second chamber, said warm high pressure refrigerant escaping into the main chamber through said distributor plate.

2. Tube ice generator according to claim 1, the areas of the gaps around the central tubes being greater than the areas of the gaps around the outer tubes.

3. In a refrigeration system including a low pressure side and a high pressure side, an ice generator comprising: a. a casing; b. a plurality of open-ended tubes spaced vertically within and surrounded by said casing; c. a plate at the top and at the bottom of said casing supporting said tubes therein and defining a freezing chamber therebetween; d. means for passing water through said tubes; e. passage means for circulating refrigerant from the low pressure side through said freezing chamber in a freezing cycle to freeze the water in said tubes; f. passage means for passing gaseous refrigerant from the high pressure side through said refrigeration chamber to remove said liquid refrigerant from said chamber upon completion of the freezing cycle; g. a distributor plate extending across said casing at a spaced distance above the bottom plate defining a bottom chamber therebetween; h. said distributor plate having apertures surrounding said tubes of a larger diamter than the tubes to provide gaps therebetween; i. passage means for passing gaseous warm refrigerant in a heating cycle from the high pressure side into said bottom cHamber and through said apertures to cause the ice rods to slide from the tubes, and j. valve means for connecting said passage means cyclically to the respective cycles.