WO2021132570A1 - Ice supply device and ice making system - Google Patents

Abstract

An ice supply device (C) is provided with: an ice storage tank (T) for storing sherbet ice; a supply passage (31) through which the sherbet ice is removed from the ice storage tank (T); and a water flow passage (80) that converges with the supply passage (31) and through which water flows.

Description

Ice supply device and ice making system

This disclosure relates to an ice supply device and an ice making system.

Sherbet ice produced from saltwater such as seawater may be used to refrigerate saltwater fish. The sherbet ice produced by the ice maker is stored in an ice storage tank and pumped to the user at any time.

When saltwater fish are refrigerated using sherbet ice, it is known that the temperature suitable for refrigeration differs depending on the fish species and size. If the saltwater fish is kept cold at a temperature lower than the temperature suitable for the saltwater fish to be kept cold, the body of the saltwater fish may freeze and its commercial value may be significantly impaired.

Therefore, it has been proposed to adjust the salt concentration of the sherbet ice when supplying the sherbet ice produced by the ice making device to the place of use (see, for example, Patent Document 1). There is a correlation between the temperature of sherbet ice and the salinity, and the temperature can be indirectly adjusted by adjusting the salinity.

In the salt water mixed sherbet-shaped ice manufacturing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the salt concentration of the salt water mixed sherbet-shaped ice in the ice storage tank is adjusted by injecting fresh water into the ice storage tank, and the adjusted sherbet-shaped ice is stored. I'm taking it out of the tank.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-281293

However, in the manufacturing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the salt concentration of the sherbet ice is adjusted by injecting fresh water into the ice storage tank in which the produced sherbet ice is stored, so that a specific salt concentration can be adjusted. Only sherbet ice can be obtained. Therefore, when it is desired to refrigerate different types of saltwater fish, it is difficult to adjust the sherbet ice to a salt concentration suitable for the saltwater fish.

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an ice supply device and an ice making system capable of adjusting the salt concentration of sherbet ice supplied to a user.

(1) The ice supply device of the present disclosure is
It is provided with an ice storage tank for storing sherbet ice, a supply path for taking out sherbet ice from the ice storage tank, and a water channel through which water flows, which joins the supply path.

In the ice supply device of the present disclosure, a water channel through which water flows joins a supply path for taking out sherbet ice from an ice storage tank. This makes it possible to adjust the salt concentration of the sherbet ice supplied to the user.

(2) It is desirable that the ice supply device of the above (1) further includes a pump arranged on the downstream side in the flow direction of sherbet ice from the confluence portion where the water flow path joins the supply path. By arranging the pump on the downstream side in the flow direction of the sherbet ice from the confluence portion, the sherbet ice and water can be flowed by one pump.

(3) In the ice supply device of (1) or (2), the flow rate adjusting valve provided in the water flow path and the front flow rate adjusting valve are controlled so that the salt concentration of sherbet ice after merging becomes a target value. It is desirable that the control unit is further provided. By controlling the flow rate adjusting valve provided in the water flow path by the control unit, the salt concentration of the sherbet ice after merging can be adjusted.

(4) In the ice supply device of the above (3), a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the sherbet ice or a first for detecting the salt concentration of the sherbet ice is located downstream of the confluence in the flow direction of the sherbet ice. Equipped with a density sensor
It is desirable that the control unit controls the flow rate adjusting valve so that the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor or the concentration detected by the first concentration sensor becomes a target value. By controlling the flow rate adjusting valve using the temperature or concentration detected by the first temperature sensor or the first concentration sensor, the salt concentration of the sherbet ice after merging can be adjusted.

(5) In the ice supply device of the above (3), a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the sherbet ice is further provided on the downstream side in the flow direction of the sherbet ice from the confluence portion.
It is desirable that the control unit calculates the salt concentration from the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor and controls the flow rate adjusting valve so that the calculated salt concentration becomes a target value. Since there is a correlation between the salt concentration of sherbet ice and the temperature, the salt concentration can be calculated from the detected temperature by detecting the temperature of the sherbet ice with the first temperature sensor. Then, the control unit adjusts the salt concentration of the sherbet ice after merging by controlling the flow rate adjusting valve so that the calculated salt concentration becomes the target value and adjusting the flow rate of the water merging into the supply path. be able to.

(6) In the ice supply devices (3) to (5), it is desirable that the control unit controls the opening and / or opening time of the flow rate adjusting valve. The control unit can adjust the flow rate of the water merging into the supply path by controlling the opening and / or opening time of the flow rate adjusting valve.

(7) In the ice supply devices (3) to (6), a second concentration sensor for detecting the salt concentration of sherbet ice in the ice storage tank is further provided.
It is desirable that the control unit prohibits the operation of taking out the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank when the salt concentration detected by the second concentration sensor is not within the predetermined range. By prohibiting the operation of taking out the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank when the detected salt concentration is not within the predetermined range, it is possible to suppress the supply of the sherbet ice in an insufficient state to the user.

(8) In the ice supply devices (1) to (7), the second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank and the second temperature sensor.
The temperature of the medium to be cooled, which was supplied to the ice storage tank before the operation of the ice making device and detected by the second temperature sensor, and stored in the ice storage tank after the operation of the ice making device was started and detected by the second temperature sensor. It is desirable to further include a salt concentration calculation unit that calculates the salt concentration of the sherbet ice based on the temperature of the sherbet ice. The salinity calculation unit can calculate the salinity of the sherbet ice based on the temperature of the medium to be cooled before the operation and the temperature of the sherbet ice after the start of the operation detected by the second sensor.

(9) In the ice supply devices (1) to (8), it is desirable to further include an input unit for receiving the salt concentration and amount of sherbet ice taken out from the ice storage tank. By inputting the salt concentration and amount of sherbet ice in the input unit, the user can take out a desired amount of sherbet ice having a desired salt concentration.

(10) In the ice supply devices (1) to (9), the supply path is arranged in the ice storage tank and has an outlet for taking out sherbet ice in the ice storage tank.
It is desirable that the outlet is arranged below the liquid level of sherbet ice in the ice storage tank by a predetermined distance. High IPF (Ice Packing Factor: ratio of the weight of ice to the total weight) by taking out the sherbet ice near the liquid level by the outlet located below the liquid level of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank by a predetermined distance. (Ice weight / (ice weight + water weight))) sherbet ice can be supplied to the user.

(11) In the ice supply devices (1) to (10), it is desirable that cooled water flows through the water flow path. By merging the cooled water into the supply path, the sherbet ice can be suppressed from melting and the high IPF sherbet ice can be supplied to the user.

(12) It is desirable that the ice supply device of the above (11) is provided with a cooling device for cooling the water flowing through the water flow path.

(13) The ice making system of the present disclosure is
The refrigerant circuit for generating the sherbet ice and the ice supply devices (1) to (12) are provided.

In the ice making system of the present disclosure, the sherbet ice generated by the refrigerant circuit is stored in the ice storage tank, and the water flow path through which the water flows joins the supply path for taking out the sherbet ice from the ice storage tank. This makes it possible to adjust the salt concentration of the sherbet ice supplied to the user.

(14) In the ice making system of (13) above,
The refrigerant circuit
With a compressor,
A first heat exchanger that dissipates heat from the refrigerant compressed by the compressor,
It is desirable to include a second heat exchanger that cools the cooled medium by exchanging heat between the refrigerant radiated by the first heat exchanger and the cooled medium that is the raw material of the sherbet ice.

With such a configuration, sherbet ice can be generated by cooling the cooled medium with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit.

(15) In the ice making system of (14) above,
The refrigerant circuit
It is desirable to further include a third heat exchanger that cools the water by exchanging heat between the refrigerant radiated by the first heat exchanger and the water flowing through the water flow path.
With such a configuration, it is possible to cool the water flowing through the water flow path by utilizing the refrigerant of the refrigerant circuit that produces sherbet ice.

(16) It is desirable that the ice making system of (15) further includes a water tank for storing water cooled by the third heat exchanger.
With such a configuration, the cooled water can be stably supplied to the supply path.

(17) The ice making system of the above (16) is
A third temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the water in the water tank,
A control valve that controls the flow of refrigerant in the third heat exchanger,
It is desirable to include a second control unit that controls the operation of the control valve based on the detection temperature of the third temperature sensor.
With such a configuration, the temperature of the water in the water tank can be appropriately controlled.

(18) In the ice making system of (17), it is desirable that the third temperature sensor is arranged on the lower side in the water tank.
According to this configuration, the third temperature sensor can detect the lower temperature of the water stored in the water tank, and by controlling the operation of the control valve based on this temperature, the inside of the water tank. It is possible to prevent the water from being cooled (frozen) more than necessary.

(19) The ice making system of the present disclosure is
Ice making equipment and
The ice supply device according to any one of (1) to (12) above is provided.

In the ice making system of the present disclosure, a water channel through which water flows joins a supply path for taking out sherbet ice from an ice storage tank. This makes it possible to adjust the salt concentration of the sherbet ice supplied to the user.

It is explanatory drawing of the ice making system which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure. It is explanatory drawing of the ice making machine in the ice making system shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the ice supply apparatus including the ice storage tank in the ice making system shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the control device of the ice supply device shown in FIG. It is a plane explanatory view in the ice storage tank. It is a flowchart of an example of control which adjusts the salt concentration of seawater in an ice storage tank. It is explanatory drawing of the ice making system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this disclosure. It is explanatory drawing of the control device of the ice making system shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the water temperature control in a water tank. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the control of a proportional control valve.

Hereinafter, the ice supply device and the ice making system of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, and is indicated by the scope of claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of an ice making system S according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of an ice making machine 1 in the ice making system S shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram. It is explanatory drawing of the ice supply apparatus C including the ice storage tank T in the ice making system S shown in 1.
The ice making system S includes an ice making device I and an ice supply device C. The ice making device I and the ice storage tank T, which is a component of the ice supply device C, are connected by a pipe.

[Ice maker I]
The ice making device I produces sherbet ice from the cooled medium by heat exchange with the refrigerant. In the present embodiment, seawater is used as a medium to be cooled, and the ice making device I generates fine ice from seawater as a raw material, and stores the sherbet ice mixed with seawater, which is a mixture of the generated fine ice and seawater, in an ice storage tank. Return to T. Sherbet ice is also called slurry ice, ice slurry, slurry ice, sluff ice, or liquid ice. As the cooling medium, in addition to seawater, for example, salt water containing salt in water can be used. As used herein, "water" includes industrial water, tap water, and fresh water that are substantially free of salt.

The ice making device I includes a compressor 2, a heat source side heat exchanger 3 (first heat exchanger), a four-way switching valve 4, in addition to the ice making machine 1 constituting the user side heat exchanger (second heat exchanger). It includes a user-side expansion valve 5, a heat source-side expansion valve 6, an internal heat exchanger 7, and a receiver 8. These devices form a refrigerant circuit 95 by being connected by a refrigerant pipe 96.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ice maker 1 includes an evaporator 13 (second heat exchanger) including an inner tube 11 and an outer tube 12, and an ice scraping unit 14. The ice maker 1 is a horizontal double-tube ice maker in which the axes of the inner tube 11 and the outer tube 12 are arranged horizontally. In the evaporator 13, the liquid refrigerant passes through most of the annular space 24 between the inner pipe 11 and the outer pipe 12.

The inner pipe 11 is an element through which seawater, which is a medium to be cooled, passes through, and is made of a metal material such as stainless steel or iron. The inner tube 11 has a cylindrical shape and is arranged inside the outer tube 12. Both ends of the inner pipe 11 are closed. Inside the inner pipe 11, an ice scraping portion 14 is provided which scoops up the ice generated on the inner peripheral surface of the inner pipe 11 and disperses it in the seawater in the inner pipe 11. A seawater pipe 15 for supplying seawater in the ice storage tank T into the inner pipe 11 is connected to one end side in the axial direction of the inner pipe 11. Further, a sherbet pipe 16 for returning seawater from the inner pipe 11 to the ice storage tank T is connected to the other end side of the inner pipe 11 in the axial direction.

The outer tube 12 has a cylindrical shape, and is made of a metal material such as stainless steel or iron like the inner tube 11. A plurality of (three in the illustrated example) refrigerant inlet pipes 17 branched on the downstream side of the utilization side expansion valve 5 are connected to the lower part of the outer pipe 12. Further, a refrigerant outlet pipe 18 leading to the internal heat exchanger 7 is connected to the upper part of the outer pipe 12. In the present embodiment, three refrigerant inlet pipes 17 are provided, but the number of refrigerant inlet pipes 17 may be 2 or less, or 4 or more. The number of refrigerant outlet pipes 18 is 1, but it may be 2 or more.

The ice scraping unit 14 includes a rotating shaft 19, a support bar 20, a blade 21, and a motor 22. The other end of the rotating shaft 19 in the axial direction is provided extending outward from the flange 23 provided at the other end of the inner pipe 11 in the axial direction, and is connected to the motor 22 for driving the rotating shaft 19. Support bars 20 are erected on the peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 19 at predetermined intervals, and blades 21 are attached to the tips of the support bars 20. The blade 21 is made of, for example, a strip-shaped member made of synthetic resin, and has a tapered shape on the front side in the rotation direction.

During normal ice making operation, the four-way switching valve 4 is held in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows into the heat source-side heat exchanger 3 that functions as a condenser via the four-way switching valve 4, and heats and exchanges with air by the operation of the blower fan 10 to condense. Liquefaction. The liquefied refrigerant flows into the utilization-side expansion valve 5 via the heat source-side expansion valve 6, the receiver 8, and the internal heat exchanger 7 in the fully open state. The refrigerant is depressurized to a predetermined low pressure by the expansion valve 5 on the utilization side, and is supplied from the refrigerant inlet pipe 17 into the annular space 24 between the inner pipe 11 and the outer pipe 12 constituting the evaporator 13.

The refrigerant ejected into the annular space 24 exchanges heat with the seawater supplied into the inner pipe 11 and evaporates. Seawater containing fine ice generated by cooling by evaporation of the refrigerant flows out from the sherbet pipe 16 and returns to the ice storage tank T. The refrigerant evaporated and vaporized by the ice maker 1 is sucked into the compressor 2. At that time, if the refrigerant in a state of containing liquid that cannot be completely evaporated by the ice maker 1 enters the compressor 2, the compressor 2 fails due to a sudden increase in the internal pressure of the compressor cylinder (liquid compression) or a decrease in the viscosity of the refrigerating machine oil. It causes to. Therefore, the low-pressure refrigerant leaving the ice maker 1 to protect the compressor 2 exchanges heat with the high-pressure refrigerant that has passed through the receiver 8 in the internal heat exchanger 7, is heated, and returns to the compressor 2. The internal heat exchanger 7 is a double-tube type, and the low-pressure refrigerant leaving the ice maker 1 heats between the high-pressure refrigerant while passing through the space between the inner and outer pipes of the internal heat exchanger 7. It is exchanged, heated and returned to the compressor 2.

Further, if the flow of seawater in the inner pipe 11 of the ice maker 1 is blocked and ice is accumulated in the inner pipe 11 (ice accumulation), the ice maker 1 cannot be operated. In this case, a defrost operation (heating operation) is performed to melt the ice in the inner pipe 11. At this time, the four-way switching valve 4 is held in the state shown by the broken line in FIG. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows into the annular space between the inner pipe 11 and the outer pipe 12 of the ice maker 1 via the four-way switching valve 4 and the internal heat exchanger 7, and is inside. It condenses and liquefies by exchanging heat with seawater containing ice in the pipe 11. The liquefied refrigerant flows into the heat source side expansion valve 6 via the utilization side expansion valve 5, the internal heat exchanger 7, and the receiver 8 in the fully open state, is depressurized to a predetermined low pressure by the heat source side expansion valve 6, and serves as an evaporator. It flows into the functioning heat source side heat exchanger 3. During the defrost operation, the refrigerant flowing into the heat source side heat exchanger 3 that functions as an evaporator exchanges heat with air by the operation of the blower fan 10, vaporizes, and is sucked into the compressor 2.

[Ice supply device C]
As shown in FIG. 3, the ice supply device C is a device that supplies the sherbet ice produced by the ice making device I to the user. The ice supply device C includes an ice storage tank T for storing sherbet ice, a supply path 31, and a water flow path 80 through which water flows, which joins the supply path 31. The supply path 31 has an on-off valve. By opening the on-off valve, sherbet ice is supplied to the user. In the present embodiment, the on-off valve is the solenoid valve 37, but it may be a valve or the like that is manually opened by the user. Further, the ice supply device C includes a control device 25 which is a control unit. As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 25 includes a CPU 25a, a memory 25b such as a RAM and a ROM, and a transmission / reception unit 25c that transmits / receives to / from an external device, a sensor, or the like. The control device 25 realizes various controls related to the operation of the ice making system S, including the operation control of the ice supply device C, by the CPU 25a executing the computer program stored in the memory 25b. The control device 25 controls the drive of the drive units or actuators of the solenoid valves 37, 73, 91, the proportional control valve 83, and the pumps 32, 38, which will be described later. Further, the control device 25 receives the detection signals from the temperature sensors 84 and 92 and the water level sensor 33 at the transmitting / receiving unit 25c. Further, the control device 25 is communicably connected to the control unit 27 of the ice making device I, controls the operation of the ice making device I via the control unit 27, and makes ice via the control unit 27. Receives a signal from the sensor of device I or the like. The main control unit of the ice making system S can be attached to the ice making device I side.

The ice storage tank T is made of a metal material such as stainless steel or iron. The ice storage tank T has a rectangular tube shape with a rectangular horizontal cross section. The ice storage tank T is a closed container having a lid portion, but in FIGS. 1 and 3, the lid portion is not shown in order to make it easier to understand the structure of the upper part inside the ice storage tank T.

Near the bottom of the ice storage tank T, a pump 32 for transferring the seawater in the ice storage tank T into the inner pipe 11 of the ice maker 1 by the seawater pipe 15 is arranged. By driving the pump 32 arranged near the bottom surface and transferring the seawater in the ice storage tank T into the inner pipe 11 of the ice maker 1, the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T can be provided with fluidity. ..

A water level sensor 33 is provided in the ice storage tank T. Based on the detection signal from the water level sensor 33, seawater is replenished or discharged, which will be described later. The water level sensor 33 can detect a plurality of water levels in the ice storage tank T, for example, 90%, 70%, 45%, 30%, 25% from the bottom of the height of the ice storage tank T. It is arranged so that the position can be detected. As the water level sensor 33, a generally known sensor can be used. Further, a discharge path 90 for discharging seawater in the ice storage tank T is connected near the bottom of the ice storage tank T. The discharge path 90 has a solenoid valve 91.

The supply path 31 is a flow path or aisle for supplying the user with sherbet ice generated by the ice making device I and stored in the ice storage tank T. The supply path 31 has a supply port 39 at the downstream end for discharging the sherbet ice taken out from the ice storage tank T. As the supply path 31, a pipe, a hose, or a combination thereof can be used. A pump 38 is provided in the supply path 31, and by driving the pump 38, sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T can be sucked and taken out to the outside.

The float 40 is a member that floats in the ice storage tank T apart from the inner wall 30 of the ice storage tank T. The float 40 in this embodiment is a hollow body and can be made of a synthetic resin such as vinyl chloride resin (PVC). The float 40 has a square shape in a plan view and a substantially rhombus shape in a side view. More specifically, the upper surface 40a of the float 40 has an upwardly inclined surface that inclines from the outer edge toward the center of the float 40 so as to move away from the liquid surface. Similarly, the bottom surface 40b of the float 40 has a downwardly sloping surface that slopes away from the liquid surface from the outer edge toward the center of the float 40. The shape of the float 40 is not particularly limited in the present disclosure, and a float 40 having a circular shape, a triangular shape, or a polygonal shape having a pentagon or more can be used. Further, the upper surface and / or the bottom surface of the float 40 may be a flat surface instead of an inclined surface.

The size of the float 40 is not particularly limited in the present disclosure, but when the float 40 having a square inner wall is floated in the ice storage tank T having a rectangular inner wall in a plan view, the length of one side of the ice storage tank T (the shorter one). The length of one side of the square float 40 can be, for example, 0.3 to 0.5 W. Further, when the float 40 having a circular plan view is floated in the ice storage tank T having a circular plan view, if the inner diameter of the ice storage tank T is D, the outer diameter of the circular float 40 is, for example, 0.3 to 0.5 D. can do.

An opening 41 penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the center of the float 40 (center in a plan view). The opening 41 has a circular shape in a plan view. In the present embodiment, the tip 34a of the hose 34 forming a part of the supply path 31 is inserted into the opening 41 and fixed to the float 40. The hose 34 has a bellows portion 34b on the root side of the tip portion 34a. The bellows portion 34b can be expanded and contracted by a predetermined distance along the longitudinal direction or the axial direction of the hose 34. Further, the end portion of the bellows portion 34b opposite to the tip portion 34a is connected to the diameter-expanded portion 35a of the end portion of the pipe 35 constituting the supply path 31. The position of the pipe 35 is fixed by a fixture (not shown).

One end of the chain 36 is fixed to each of the four corners of the square float 40. The other end of the chain 36 is locked to the inner wall 30 of the ice storage tank T. The length of each chain 36 is set to a length that allows vertical movement and horizontal movement within a certain range of the float 40. The float 40 can move up and down within a certain range due to the presence of the bellows portion 34b. Further, the float 40 is restricted from moving horizontally beyond a certain range due to the presence of the chain 36.

In the present embodiment, the supply path 31 is configured by the above-mentioned pipe 35, hose 34, and opening 41. The tip (opening edge) of the opening 41 of the float 40, which is the tip of the supply path 31, functions as an outlet 42 for sucking and taking out the sherbet ice stored in the ice storage tank T. The outlet 42 is located on the bottom surface 40b of the float 40. In other words, the outlet 42 is located below the surface of the sherbet ice stored in the tank body. The vertical position of the outlet 42 is not particularly limited in the present disclosure, but for example, the size, shape, weight, etc. of the float 40 may be selected so as to be located about 10 to 40 cm below the liquid level L of the sherbet ice. it can.

Since ice has a lower specific density than seawater, it moves upward due to buoyancy, so sherbet ice near the liquid surface in the ice storage tank T has a higher IPF than sherbet ice near the bottom surface. In the present embodiment, since the outlet 42 at the tip of the supply path 31 is arranged not at the lower part or the central part in the vertical direction of the ice storage tank T but at the upper part thereof, sherbet ice having a high IPF is supplied to the user. be able to. At that time, since the outlet 42 at the tip of the supply path 31 is arranged below the liquid level of the sherbet ice, it is possible to suppress the suction of air from the outlet 42 when sucking the sherbet ice from the outlet 42. be able to. Then, it is possible to prevent the pump 38 from being damaged by the sucked air.

Further, since the bottom surface 40b of the float 40 has a downwardly inclined surface that inclines from the outer edge of the float 40 toward the outlet 42 so as to move away from the liquid surface, the air in the liquid around the outlet 42 can be removed. It can escape upward along the inclined surface. As a result, the suction of air from the outlet 42 at the tip of the supply path 31 can be further suppressed.

The ice supply device C according to the present embodiment has a return path 50 that branches off from the supply path 31 on the downstream side of the pump 38 arranged in the supply path 31 and returns sherbet ice to the ice storage tank T. There is. The return passage 50 is connected to a sherbet pipe 16 that returns seawater containing ice generated by the ice maker 1 to the ice storage tank T. Further, a safety valve 51 is provided in the return passage 50. The safety valve 51 is opened when the pressure in the return passage 50 exceeds a predetermined pressure. Further, the safety valve 51 is used when the pump 38 is driven even though the solenoid valve 37 provided in the supply path 31 has failed and the sherbet ice cannot be supplied from the supply port 39. When the pressure in the return passage 50 branching from the above exceeds a predetermined pressure, it is released to return the sherbet ice to the ice storage tank T. This sherbet ice falls from the discharge port of the discharge pipe described later, which is arranged above the liquid level L of the sherbet ice stored in the ice storage tank T, and therefore disturbs the sherbet ice near the liquid level. Can be done. In addition, it is possible to prevent the sherbet ice from freezing. Further, by opening the safety valve 51 to reduce the pressure in the flow path of the sherbet ice, it is possible to prevent the pump 38 from failing due to excessive pressure.

A solenoid valve that can be opened and closed can be used instead of the safety valve 51. In this case, the solenoid valve is controlled by the CPU 25a of the control device 25 so as to be closed when the sherbet ice is supplied to the user by the supply port 39 of the supply path 31, and the supply port of the supply path 31 is closed. From 39, it is controlled to open when the sherbet ice is not supplied. When the sherbet ice is not supplied, the sherbet ice can be returned to the ice storage tank T by operating the pump 38 and controlling the solenoid valve to open. As a result, it is possible to impart fluidity to the sherbet ice stored in the ice storage tank T and prevent the sherbet ice from freezing.

The pump 38 arranged in the supply path 31 functions as a pump for supplying the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T to the user from the supply port 39, and also stores ice via the reflux path 50 branching from the supply path 31. It can function as a pump for returning the sherbet ice taken out from the tank T to the ice storage tank T. The sherbet ice supply pump and the reflux pump can be shared.

By linking the operation of the pump 38 with the opening / closing control of the solenoid valve capable of opening / closing control described above by the CPU 25a of the control device 25, it is possible to suppress freezing of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T. Specifically, by driving the pump 38 constantly or periodically while the ice making device I is operating, the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T can be constantly or periodically flowed through the return path and circulated. As a result, it is possible to prevent the sherbet ice near the liquid surface from freezing during ice making. The opening and closing of the solenoid valve is controlled by the CPU 25a of the control device 25 so as to be interlocked with the drive of the pump 38. When the ice making device I is not in operation, the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T is prevented from freezing by constantly or periodically flowing the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T through the reflux path and circulating the ice. You can also do it.

The downstream end of the sherbet pipe 16 is branched into four branch pipes 60 as shown in FIG. A discharge pipe 61 is attached to the downstream end of each branch pipe 60. A plurality of (six in the example shown in FIG. 5) discharge ports 62 are formed on the lower surface of the discharge pipe 61. The branch pipe 60 and the discharge pipe 61 are arranged above the liquid level L of the sherbet ice stored in the ice storage tank T. By dropping the sherbet ice from the discharge port 62 located above the liquid level L of the sherbet ice, it is possible to impart fluidity to the sherbet ice near the liquid surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent the sherbet ice near the liquid surface from freezing.

In the present embodiment, the downstream end of the seawater supply pipe 70 that supplies seawater to the ice storage tank T is connected to the sherbet pipe 16. The seawater sucked from the seawater acquisition port by a pump (not shown) joins the sherbet pipe 16 via the sterilization / filtration device 72 and the solenoid valve 73, and is supplied to the ice storage tank T from the discharge port 62 of the discharge pipe 61 described above. Will be done. The sterilization / filtration device 72 is a device for removing foreign substances contained in seawater and sterilizing bacteria contained in seawater. The seawater can be replenished to the ice storage tank T using the seawater replenishment pipe 70 based on the detection signal of the water level sensor 33 described above.

Further, the ice supply device C according to the present embodiment has a water flow path 80 through which water flows, which joins the supply path 31 for taking out sherbet ice from the ice storage tank T. The water flow path 80 joins the supply path 31 on the upstream side in the flow direction of the sherbet ice with respect to the pump 38 for sucking and taking out the sherbet ice from the ice storage tank T. As a result, the number of pumps required for two can be reduced to one. In addition, instead of water, salt water containing salt in water can also be used.

In the present embodiment, an input unit 26 (see FIG. 4) that is communicably connected to the control device 25 is provided. By inputting the salt concentration and amount of sherbet ice to be taken out from the ice storage tank T, the user can take out a desired amount of sherbet ice having a desired salt concentration from the supply port 39.

In the present embodiment, the water stored in the water tank 81 is sucked by the pump 38 and joins the supply path 31 via the proportional control valve 83 which is a flow rate adjusting valve. Further, a temperature sensor 84, which is a first temperature sensor, is provided on the downstream side of the confluence of the water flow path 80 and the supply path 31 and on the downstream side of the pump 38 to detect the temperature of sherbet ice. Since there is a correlation between the salt concentration of sherbet ice and the temperature, the salt concentration can be calculated from the detected temperature by detecting the temperature of the sherbet ice with the temperature sensor 84. This calculation can be performed by the CPU 25a of the control device 25. Then, based on the calculated salt concentration, the opening and / or opening time of the proportional control valve 83 is adjusted by the CPU 25a of the control device 25 so that the salt concentration becomes the target value, thereby adjusting the desired salt concentration. You can get sherbet ice to have. For example, when the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 is fully opened, the flow rate of sherbet ice flowing through the supply path 31 and the flow rate flowing through the water flow path 80 are configured to be substantially equal to each other. As a result, the concentration of sherbet ice taken out from the solenoid valve 37 can be set to about half the concentration of sherbet ice stored in the ice storage tank T. Further, for example, when the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 is set to 50%, the ratio of the flow rate of sherbet ice flowing through the supply path 31 to the flow rate flowing through the water flow path 80 is 2: 1. As a result, the concentration of sherbet ice taken out from the solenoid valve 37 can be reduced to about two-thirds of the concentration of sherbet ice stored in the ice storage tank T. Further, when the time for fully opening the proportional control valve 83 is set to about half the time during which the pump 38 is operated, the concentration of sherbet ice taken out from the electromagnetic valve 37 is stored in the ice storage tank T. It can be about two-thirds of the concentration of sherbet ice. Instead of the temperature sensor 84, a concentration sensor 84 (first concentration sensor) that detects the salt concentration may be used. In this case, the opening degree and / or opening time of the proportional control valve 83 can be adjusted by the control device 25 so that the salt concentration becomes a target value based on the detected salt concentration.

Further, in the present embodiment, a temperature sensor 92, which is a second temperature sensor, is provided in the ice storage tank T to detect the temperature of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T. Based on the temperature of seawater before operation and the temperature of sherbet ice after the start of operation detected by the temperature sensor 92, the salt concentration of the sherbet ice can be determined by the CPU 25a of the control device 25. Then, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 adjusts the flow rate of water merging from the water flow path 80 to the supply path 31 by changing the opening degree and / or opening time of the proportional control valve 83 based on the salinity. This makes it possible to adjust the salt concentration of the sherbet ice supplied to the user. It is also possible to use the concentration sensor 92, which is the second concentration sensor, instead of the temperature sensor 92, which is the second temperature sensor. In this case, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 can obtain the concentration of sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T by the concentration sensor 92.

Further, since there is a correlation between the salt concentration of sherbet ice and the temperature, the temperature of the sherbet ice is detected by the temperature sensor 92, and the salt concentration is calculated by the CPU 25a of the control device 25 from the detected temperature. can do. Then, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 prohibits the operation of taking out the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T when the calculated salt concentration is not within the predetermined range. If the salt concentration of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T is too low, the IPF of the sherbet ice is also low, and the use as sherbet ice is insufficient. By prohibiting the operation of taking out the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank when the detected salt concentration is not within the predetermined range, it is possible to suppress the supply of the sherbet ice in an insufficient state to the user. When the concentration sensor 92, which is the second concentration sensor, is used instead of the temperature sensor 92, which is the second temperature sensor, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 has a predetermined range of the salt concentration of the sherbet ice detected by the concentration sensor 92. If not, the operation of taking out the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T is prohibited.

In the present embodiment, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 controls the solenoid valve 91 and the solenoid valve 73 when it is determined that the salt concentration calculated based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 92 exceeds a predetermined value. Specifically, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 opens the solenoid valve 91 when the calculated salt concentration exceeds a predetermined value. As a result, the seawater in the ice storage tank T is discharged to the outside via the discharge path 90. Then, when the first predetermined condition is satisfied, the CPU 25a closes the solenoid valve 91, then opens the solenoid valve 73 to supply seawater to the ice storage tank T. Then, when the second predetermined condition is satisfied, the CPU 25a closes the solenoid valve 73. In this way, by discharging the seawater in the ice storage tank T and supplying the seawater to the ice storage tank T based on the salt concentration of the seawater in the ice storage tank T, the salt concentration of the seawater in the ice storage tank T can be increased. The value can be lowered below a predetermined value, and as a result, the ice making device I can be continuously operated. Thereby, the ice making efficiency of the ice making system S can be improved. A salinity sensor can also be used as a means for detecting the concentration of seawater in the ice storage tank T.

The above-mentioned "predetermined value" is not particularly limited in the present disclosure, but can be, for example, 7%. If the salt concentration of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T exceeds 7%, it becomes difficult to make ice in the ice making machine 1, and the ice making efficiency may decrease. The predetermined value can be appropriately set via an input unit of a control device 25 (not shown). The set predetermined value is stored in the memory 25b. Further, the "first predetermined condition" and the "second predetermined condition" can be, for example, when the water level as a dividing line between water and ice drops to a certain position. Under the first predetermined condition, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 detects that the water level has dropped to the first position by the water level sensor 33. As the first position, for example, a position 45% from the bottom of the tank height can be selected from the plurality of water levels detected by the water level sensor 33 described above. Since the pump may be damaged if only ice is handled, the pump is configured to stop drainage and start water supply when the water level described above drops to the first position. Further, under the second predetermined condition, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 detects that the water level has risen to the second position by the water level sensor 33. As the second position, for example, 90% of the positions of the plurality of water levels detected by the water level sensor 33 described above can be selected from the bottom of the tank height. The first position and the second position can be appropriately set via an input unit of a control device 25 (not shown). The set first position and second position are stored in the memory 25b. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the following control flow is executed. The CPU 25a of the control device 25 detects the salt concentration of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T by the temperature sensor 92 arranged in the ice storage tank T (step S1). The CPU 25a of the control device 25 determines whether or not the salt concentration exceeds 7% (step S2), and if it determines that the salt concentration exceeds 7%, proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the CPU 25a transmits a command to the control unit 27 of the ice making device I to stop the operation of the ice making device I. The CPU 25a opens the solenoid valve 91 provided in the discharge path 90 connected to the ice storage tank T (step S4). As a result, seawater near the bottom surface of the ice storage tank T is discharged. The discharged seawater may contain some sherbet ice.

Then, in step S5, the CPU 25a determines whether or not the water level detected by the water level sensor 33 has dropped to a water level lower than the first predetermined condition. When the CPU 25a determines in step S5 that the water level has dropped to a water level lower than the first predetermined condition, the CPU 25a proceeds to step S6 and closes the solenoid valve 91 in step S6. Next, the CPU 25a opens the solenoid valve 73 (step S7). As a result, seawater (salt concentration of about 3.5%) is supplied into the ice storage tank T. Then, in step S8, the CPU 25a determines whether or not the water level detected by the water level sensor 33 has risen to a water level higher than the second predetermined condition. When the CPU 25a determines in step S8 that the water level has risen to a level higher than the second predetermined condition, the CPU 25a proceeds to step S9 and closes the solenoid valve 73 in step S9. After that, in step S10, the CPU 25a transmits a command to start the operation of the ice making device I to the control unit of the ice making device I. After performing step S10, the process returns to step S1, and the CPU 25a of the control device 25 detects the salt concentration of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T by the temperature sensor 92 arranged in the ice storage tank T. By repeating such steps S1 to S10, the ice making device I can be continuously operated. The target salt concentration in the ice storage tank T can be, for example, 3.5 to 7%. By performing such control, the ice making device I can be continuously operated.

When the salt concentration of the seawater in the ice storage tank T detected by the temperature sensor 92 exceeds a predetermined value, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 sets the salt concentration of the seawater in the ice storage tank T to the target salt concentration. , The solenoid valve 91 of the discharge path 90 and the solenoid valve 73 of the seawater supply pipe 70 may be controlled. The control in this case can be controlled as follows. The CPU 25a of the control device 25 recognizes the salt concentration of the seawater supplied from the seawater supply pipe 70. The CPU 25a of the control device 25 calculates the amount of seawater discharged from the ice storage tank T and the amount of seawater supplied from the seawater supply pipe 70 when the salt concentration of the seawater in the ice storage tank T reaches a predetermined value. Therefore, the electromagnetic valve 91 and the electromagnetic valve 73 can be controlled so that the salt concentration when different concentrations of salt water are mixed in the ice storage tank T becomes the target salt concentration. In this case, the first predetermined condition can be the amount of seawater discharged from the ice storage tank T, and the second predetermined condition can be the amount of seawater supplied from the seawater supply pipe 70.

Water is supplied to the water tank 81 via the control valve 86. A float switch 87 is arranged in the water tank 81, and the control valve 86 is controlled to open and close based on the detection signal from the float switch 87, and the water supply to the water tank 81 is started and stopped. ..

[Action and effect of the first embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above (the embodiment of the ice supply device), the water flow path 80 through which water flows joins the supply path 31 for taking out sherbet ice from the ice storage tank T. Thereby, the salt concentration of the sherbet ice supplied to the user can be easily adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the water merging into the supply path 31. After supplying a predetermined amount of sherbet ice to the user, for example, even when sherbet ice for cooling different types of saltwater fish is needed, the flow rate of water from the water flow path 80 to be merged with the supply path 31 is adjusted. Since the salt concentration of the sherbet ice can be adjusted simply by doing so, the usability of the ice supply device C is improved.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the pump 38 is arranged on the downstream side in the flow direction of the sherbet ice from the confluence portion where the water flow path 80 merges with the supply path 31. By disposing the pump 38 on the downstream side in the flow direction of the sherbet ice from the confluence portion, the sherbet ice and water can be flowed by one pump.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the proportional control valve 83 is provided in the water flow path 80, and proportional control is performed by the CPU 25a of the control device 25 so that the salt concentration of the sherbet ice after merging becomes a target value. The opening and / or opening time of the valve 83 is controlled. The salt concentration of the sherbet ice after merging can be adjusted only by controlling the opening degree and / or opening time of the proportional control valve 83 provided in the water flow path 80.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the temperature sensor 84 for detecting the temperature of the sherbet ice is provided on the downstream side in the flow direction of the sherbet ice from the confluence of the supply path 31 and the water flow path 80, and is detected. The CPU 25a of the control device 25 controls the opening and / or opening time of the proportional control valve 83 so that the temperature becomes the target value. By controlling the proportional control valve 83 using the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 84, the salt concentration of the sherbet ice after merging can be adjusted. In this case, since there is a correlation between the salt concentration of sherbet ice and the temperature, the salt concentration of sherbet ice can be calculated from the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 84.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the temperature sensor 92 is arranged in the ice storage tank T, and the temperature of the seawater before the operation and the temperature of the sherbet ice after the start of the operation are detected by the temperature sensor 92. Based on this, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 calculates the salt concentration of the sherbet ice. Then, the salt concentration of the sherbet ice supplied to the user can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the water merging from the water flow path 80 to the supply path 31 based on the calculated salt concentration.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the temperature of the sherbet ice is detected by the temperature sensor 92, and the salt concentration is calculated by the CPU 25a of the control device 25 from the detected temperature. Then, the CPU 25a of the control device 25 prohibits the operation of taking out the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T when the calculated salt concentration is not within the predetermined range. If the salt concentration of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T is too low, the IPF of the sherbet ice is also low, and the use as sherbet ice is insufficient. By prohibiting the operation of taking out the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank when the detected salt concentration is not within the predetermined range, it is possible to suppress the supply of the sherbet ice in an insufficient state to the user.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the control device 25 is provided with an input unit 26 communicatively connected, and the user can input the salt concentration and amount of sherbet ice taken out from the ice storage tank T. , A desired amount of sherbet ice having a desired salt concentration can be taken out from the supply port 39.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, the supply path 31 has an outlet 42 for taking out the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T, and this outlet 42 is the liquid level of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T. It is arranged below by a predetermined distance from L. Since the fine ice that constitutes sherbet ice has a lower specific density than seawater, it moves upward due to buoyancy. Therefore, the sherbet ice near the liquid surface in the ice storage tank T has a higher IPF than the sherbet ice near the bottom surface. .. High IPF sherbet ice can be supplied to the user by taking out the sherbet ice near the liquid level through the outlet 42 arranged below the liquid level L of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T by a predetermined distance.

Further, in the first embodiment described above (the embodiment of the ice making system), the water flow path 80 through which water flows joins the supply path 31 for taking out sherbet ice from the ice storage tank T. Thereby, the salt concentration of the sherbet ice supplied to the user can be easily adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the water merging into the supply path 31. After supplying a predetermined amount of sherbet ice to the user, for example, even when sherbet ice for cooling different types of saltwater fish is needed, the flow rate of water from the water flow path 80 to be merged with the supply path 31 is adjusted. Since the salt concentration of sherbet ice can be easily adjusted just by doing so, the usability of the ice making system S is improved.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the ice making system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the control device of the ice making system shown in FIG.
The ice making system S of the present embodiment includes an ice making device I and an ice supply device C as in the first embodiment. Further, the ice making system S of the present embodiment includes a cooling device 100 and a temperature sensor (third temperature sensor) 103. The cooling device 100 cools the water flowing through the water flow path 80. The third temperature sensor 103 detects the temperature of the water cooled by the cooling device 100.

The cooling device 100 and the third temperature sensor 103 of the present embodiment are arranged in the water tank 81 which is a component of the ice supply device C. The cooling device 100 is composed of a heat exchanger (third heat exchanger). Hereinafter, the heat exchanger constituting the cooling device 100 is also referred to as a cooling heat exchanger 100. The cooling heat exchanger 100 is inserted into the water tank 81 and exchanges heat with the water in the water tank 81. The cooling heat exchanger 100 can adopt, for example, a configuration in which a heat transfer tube through which a refrigerant flows is wound in a coil shape.

The cooling heat exchanger 100 of the present embodiment is supplied with the refrigerant used in the ice making device I. Similar to the first embodiment, the ice making device I includes an ice making machine 1, a compressor 2, and a heat source side heat exchanger (first heat exchanger) 3 that constitute a user-side heat exchanger (second heat exchanger). , A four-way switching valve 4, a utilization-side expansion valve 5, a heat source-side expansion valve 6, an internal heat exchanger 7, and a receiver 8. These devices form a refrigerant circuit 95 by being connected by a refrigerant pipe 96.

From the refrigerant pipe 96a between the liquid refrigerant outflow portion 3a and the utilization side expansion valve 5 in the heat source side heat exchanger 3, more specifically, from the refrigerant pipe 96a between the receiver 8 and the internal heat exchanger 7, the first The branch pipe 97 is branched. Refrigerant pipe 96b between the outflow part 1a of the gas refrigerant in the ice maker 1 and the suction part 2a of the gas refrigerant of the compressor 2, more specifically, the refrigerant pipe between the internal heat exchanger 7 and the four-way switching valve 4. The second branch pipe 98 branches from 96b. The first branch pipe 97 is connected to the refrigerant inlet 100a of the cooling heat exchanger 100. The second branch pipe 98 is connected to the refrigerant outlet 100b of the cooling heat exchanger 100.

The refrigerant radiated by the heat source side heat exchanger 3 passes through the heat source side expansion valve 6 and the receiver 8, then branches from the refrigerant pipe 96a to the first branch pipe 97 and flows into the cooling heat exchanger 100. The refrigerant that has passed through the cooling heat exchanger 100 joins the refrigerant pipe 96b through the second branch pipe 98, passes through the four-way switching valve 4, and is sucked into the compressor 2. The cooling heat exchanger 100 is provided in the refrigerant circuit 95 in parallel with the ice maker 1.

The first branch pipe 97 is provided with a cooling expansion valve 101 for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant flowing through the first branch pipe 97 is depressurized by the cooling expansion valve 101 to become a low-temperature low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, which is supplied to the cooling heat exchanger 100. In the cooling heat exchanger 100, heat exchange is performed between the water in the water tank 81 and the refrigerant. By this heat exchange, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the water in the water tank 81 and evaporates, and the water in the water tank 81 is cooled.

The cooling expansion valve 101 supplies the refrigerant to the cooling heat exchanger 100 by opening, and stops the supply of the refrigerant to the cooling heat exchanger 100 by closing. Therefore, the cooling expansion valve 101 functions as a control valve that controls the flow of the refrigerant to the cooling heat exchanger 100. The cooling expansion valve 101 opens and closes based on the temperature detected by the third temperature sensor 103. Specifically, when the temperature detected by the third temperature sensor 103 _{exceeds a predetermined upper limit temperature T th1} , the cooling expansion valve 101 opens and the water in the water tank 81 is cooled. When the temperature of the water detected by the third temperature sensor 103 _{falls below the predetermined lower limit temperature T th2} , the cooling expansion valve 101 closes and the cooling of the water in the water tank 81 stops. The upper limit temperature T _th1 can be set to a temperature at which the sherbet ice that has merged with water in the supply path 31 does not excessively melt. For example, the upper limit temperature T _th1 can be 5 ° C. The lower limit temperature T _th2 can be set to a temperature at which the water in the water tank 81 does not freeze. For example, the lower limit temperature T _th2 can be 2 ° C. _{By setting the lower limit temperature T th2} to a temperature at which water does not freeze, it is possible to suppress the inability to merge the sherbet ice and water.

The third temperature sensor 103 is arranged on the lower side of the water tank 81 (below the center in the vertical direction of the water tank 81). Therefore, the lower temperature of the water in the water tank 81 can be detected. The third temperature sensor 103 is preferably arranged below the cooling heat exchanger 100. The third temperature sensor 103 is more preferably arranged near the bottom surface of the water tank 81.

The second branch pipe 98 is provided with a fifth temperature sensor 105. The fifth temperature sensor 105 detects the temperature of the refrigerant after passing through the cooling heat exchanger 100. When the cooling expansion valve 101 is open, the opening degree of the cooling expansion valve 101 is adjusted so that the degree of superheat of the refrigerant obtained using the detection result of the fifth temperature sensor 105 becomes a predetermined set value. To.

The opening / closing operation of the cooling expansion valve 101 is controlled by the control unit (second control unit) 27 of the ice making device I. Like the control device 25 of the ice supply device C, the control unit 27 includes a CPU 27a, a memory 27b such as a RAM and a ROM, and a transmission / reception unit 27c that transmits / receives to / from an external device, a sensor, or the like. .. The control unit 27 realizes various controls related to the operation of the ice making system S, including the operation control of the ice making device I, by the CPU 27a executing the computer program stored in the memory 27b. The control unit 27 controls the drive of the compressor 2, the four-way switching valve 4, the expansion valves 5, 6, 101 and the like. The control unit 27 receives a detection signal from the fifth temperature sensor 105 or the like at the transmission / reception unit 27c. The control unit 27 is communicably connected to the control device 25 of the ice supply device C, and acquires the detection results of the temperature sensors 103, 104, etc. received by the control device 25.

A fourth temperature sensor 104 is provided in the water flow path 80. The fourth temperature sensor 104 detects the temperature of water immediately before merging with the supply path 31. If the temperature of the water merging into the supply path 31 is high, the sherbet ice after merging tends to melt, and the salt concentration of the sherbet ice may decrease and the temperature may rise rapidly. Therefore, the temperature of the water before merging is detected by the fourth temperature sensor 104, and the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 is adjusted based on the detection result. The opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 is adjusted by the control device 25 as in the first embodiment.

(Water temperature control in the water tank)
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of water temperature control in the water tank.
The control unit 27 cools the water in the water tank 81 according to the procedure shown in FIG. 9 and maintains the water temperature within a predetermined range. First, the control unit 27 acquires the water temperature T by receiving a detection signal from the third temperature sensor 103 in the water tank 81 (step S11).

Next, the control unit 27 determines whether or not the water temperature T exceeds a predetermined upper limit temperature T _th1 (step S12). The upper limit temperature T _th1 can be 5 ° C. as described above. When the determination in step S12 is affirmative (YES), the control unit 27 executes control to open the cooling expansion valve 101 to cool the water in the water tank 81 (step S13).

When the determination in step S12 is negative (NO), the control unit 27 further _{determines whether or not the water temperature T is below the predetermined lower limit temperature T th2} (step S14). The lower limit temperature T _th2 can be 2 ° C. as described above. When the determination in step S14 is positive (YES), the control unit 27 controls to close the cooling expansion valve 101 (step S15). Specifically, the control unit 27 closes the cooling expansion valve 101 when the cooling expansion valve 101 is open, and maintains the closed state when the cooling expansion valve 101 is closed. As a result, the cooling of the water in the water tank 81 is stopped.

When the judgment in step S14 is negative (NO), the control unit 27 maintains the open / closed state of the cooling expansion valve 101 (step S16). Specifically, the control unit 27 maintains an open state when the cooling expansion valve 101 is open, and maintains a closed state when the cooling expansion valve 101 is closed.

By repeating the above procedure, the control unit 27 can maintain the temperature of the water in the water tank 81 within a predetermined range T _th1 to T _th2.

(Control of proportional control valve)
The control device 25 of the present embodiment adjusts the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 according to the temperature of the water flowing through the water flow path 80. Specifically, the control device 25 stores ice based on the temperature (salt concentration) of the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T, the temperature of the sherbet ice (salt concentration) that the user wants to take out, and the temperature of the water to be merged with the sherbet ice. The amount of water to be merged with the sherbet ice in the tank T is obtained, and the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 is adjusted.

For example, when the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank T is -3 ° C and the sherbet ice having a set temperature of −1.5 ° C is taken out, the control device 25 determines that the temperature of the water flowing through the water flow path 80 is 2 ° C. The opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 is different between the case where the temperature is 5 ° C. Specifically, the control device 25 makes the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 smaller when the water temperature is 5 ° C. than when the water temperature is 2 ° C.

Assuming that the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 is the same when the temperature of the water is 2 ° C. and when the temperature is 5 ° C., the water at 2 ° C. is produced when the water at 5 ° C. is merged. The IPF of sherbet ice changes significantly and reaches the set temperature earlier than when merging. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the temperature of sherbet ice will exceed the set temperature.

The control device 25 of the present embodiment reduces the change in IPF by making the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 smaller when the water temperature is 5 ° C. than when the water temperature is 2 ° C., and the set temperature. It takes longer to reach. As a result, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the sherbet ice from exceeding the set temperature.

In the present embodiment, since the water temperature in the water tank 81 is controlled to 2 ° C. to 5 ° C., the control device 25 sets the lowest 2 ° C. as the "reference temperature" and sets the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 at this time. Is the "reference opening". When the water temperature exceeds the reference temperature, the control device 25 operates the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 in the direction of closing from the reference opening degree. Further, the control device 25 is configured to operate the proportional control valve 93 more in the closing direction as the temperature of the water exceeding the reference temperature becomes higher.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the proportional control valve.
The control device 25 controls the opening degree of the proportional control valve according to the procedure shown in FIG. 10 and adjusts the temperature of the sherbet ice to the set temperature. First, the control device 25 acquires the water temperature by receiving a detection signal from the fourth temperature sensor 104 provided in the water flow path 80 (step S21).

Next, the control device 25 calculates the difference between the water temperature and the reference temperature (for example, 2 ° C.) (step S22). Then, the control device 25 calculates the operation amount (close amount) of the proportional control valve 83 from the reference opening degree by using this difference (step S23).
Next, the control device 25 operates the proportional control valve 83 according to the calculated operation amount to merge water from the water flow path 80 into the supply path 31 (step S24).

[Action and effect of the second embodiment]
The ice supply device C and the ice making system S of the second embodiment have the following effects in addition to the effects of the first embodiment.
In the ice supply device C of the second embodiment described above, cooled water flows through the water flow path 80. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the melting of sherbet ice by the merged water and supply the high IPF sherbet ice to the user.

In the second embodiment described above, the ice supply device C includes a cooling device 100 that cools the water flowing through the water flow path 80. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the melting of sherbet ice by the merged water and supply the user with high IPF sherbet ice.

The ice making system S of the second embodiment described above includes a refrigerant circuit 95 for generating sherbet ice and an ice supply device C. Therefore, the sherbet ice generated by the refrigerant circuit 95 can be stored in the ice storage tank T, and water can be merged with the supply path 31 for taking out the sherbet ice from the ice storage tank T. This makes it possible to adjust the salt concentration of the sherbet ice supplied to the user.

In the second embodiment described above, the refrigerant circuit 95 includes a compressor 2, a heat source side heat exchanger (first heat exchanger) 3 that dissipates heat from the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 2, and a heat source side heat exchanger. It includes an ice maker 1 which is a user-side heat exchanger (second heat exchanger) that exchanges heat between the refrigerant radiated in 3 and the cooled medium used as a raw material for sherbet ice to cool the cooled medium. Therefore, the cooling medium can be cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 95 to generate sherbet ice.

In the second embodiment described above, the refrigerant circuit 95 exchanges heat between the refrigerant dissipated by the heat source side heat exchanger 3 and the water flowing through the water flow path 80 to cool the water (first). 3 Heat exchanger) 100 is further included. Therefore, the water flowing through the water flow path 80 can be cooled by using the refrigerant of the refrigerant circuit 95 that generates sherbet ice.

In the second embodiment described above, a water tank 81 for storing water cooled by the cooling heat exchanger 100 is further provided. Therefore, the cooled water can be stably supplied to the supply path 31.

In the second embodiment described above, the third temperature sensor 103 that detects the temperature of the water in the water tank 81, and the cooling expansion valve (control valve) 101 that controls the flow of the refrigerant in the cooling heat exchanger 100. A control unit (second control unit) 27 that controls the operation of the cooling expansion valve 101 based on the detection temperature of the third temperature sensor 103 is provided. Therefore, the temperature of the water in the water tank 81 can be appropriately controlled.

In the second embodiment described above, the third temperature sensor 103 is arranged on the lower side in the water tank 81. Therefore, it is possible to detect the lowest possible temperature in the water stored in the water tank 81, and by controlling the operation of the cooling expansion valve 101 based on this temperature, the water in the water tank 81 can be detected. It is possible to suppress cooling (freezing) more than necessary.

[Other variants]
The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the ice storage tank has a rectangular tube shape having a rectangular horizontal cross section, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The ice storage tank may be a tank having a cylindrical shape with a circular horizontal cross section, or a tank having a polygonal shape with a horizontal cross section.

Further, instead of the evaporator of the above-described embodiment, for example, a type of evaporator that ejects the refrigerant with a nozzle in the annular space between the inner pipe and the outer pipe can be used.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, as the ice maker, a horizontal double-tube ice maker in which the inner pipe and the outer pipe are arranged so that the axes are horizontal has been exemplified. The present disclosure is not particularly limited to ice makers having various shapes and structures, such as a vertical double-tube ice maker in which the axes of the inner tube and the outer tube are arranged to be vertical. Can be adopted.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the adjustment of the salt concentration and the amount of sherbet ice supplied to the user, which is input to the input unit 26, is not exemplified, but for example, the value detected by the first temperature sensor 84 is used. The salt concentration of the sherbet ice can be adjusted by controlling the opening degree of the proportional control valve 83 so that the temperature corresponds to the target salt concentration. In addition, a sensor (not shown) capable of measuring the flow rate is provided in the vicinity of the solenoid valve 37, and the sherbet ice is opened by opening the solenoid valve 37 until the target amount of sherbet ice is supplied. Supply amount can be adjusted.

In the second embodiment described above, the cooling heat exchanger as the cooling device may be arranged outside the water tank. In this case, a water circuit that draws water from the water tank by a pump and circulates it can be provided, and a cooling heat exchanger can be provided in this water circuit.

In the second embodiment described above, the cooling heat exchanger as the cooling device may be provided in a refrigerant circuit different from the refrigerant circuit of the ice making device. The cooling device may not use a refrigerant.

In the second embodiment described above, the water temperature was detected by the temperature sensor provided in the water flow path for controlling the proportional control valve, but the water temperature may be detected by the temperature sensor in the water tank. However, the proportional control valve can be controlled more accurately by detecting the water temperature immediately before merging into the supply path by the temperature sensor provided in the water flow path.

In the second embodiment described above, the control of the proportional control valve may be feedback control based on the temperature or salinity of the sherbet ice after merging with water.

In the second embodiment described above, the temperature sensor may be provided not only on the lower side but also on the upper side in the water tank.
In the second embodiment described above, the temperature range of water in the water tank, 2 ° C. to 5 ° C., is an example, and the temperature range may be different from this.

1: Ice maker (second heat exchanger)
2: Compressor 3: Heat source side heat exchanger (first heat exchanger)
4: Four-way switching valve 5: Utilization side expansion valve 6: Heat source side expansion valve 7: Internal heat exchanger 8: Receiver 10: Blower fan 11: Inner pipe 12: Outer pipe 13: Evaporator 14: Ice scraper 15 : Seawater pipe 16: Sherbet pipe 17: Refrigerator inlet pipe 18: Refrigerator outlet pipe 19: Rotating shaft 20: Support bar 21: Blade 22: Motor 23: Flange 24: Ring space 25: Control device 26: Input unit 27: Control unit 30: Inner wall 31: Supply path 32: Pump 33: Water level sensor 34: Hose 34a: Tip 34b: Bellows 35: Piping 36: Chain 37: Electromagnetic valve 38: Pump 40: Float 40a: Top surface 40b: Bottom surface 41: Opening 42: Outlet 50: Recirculation path 51: Safety valve 60: Branch pipe 61: Discharge pipe 62: Discharge port 70: Seawater supply pipe 72: Sterilization / filtration device 73: Electromagnetic valve 80: Water flow path 81: Water tank 83: Proportional control Valve 84: First temperature (concentration) sensor 86: Control valve 87: Float switch 90: Discharge path 91: Electromagnetic valve 92: Second temperature (concentration) sensor 95: Refrigerator circuit 96: Refrigerator pipe 97: First branch pipe 98 : 2nd branch pipe 100: Cooling heat exchanger (3rd heat exchanger, cooling device)
101: Cooling expansion valve (control valve)
103: 3rd temperature sensor 104: 4th temperature sensor 105: 5th temperature sensor C: Ice supply device I: Ice making device L: Liquid level S: Ice making system T: Ice storage tank

Claims (19)

1. An ice storage tank (T) for storing sherbet ice, a supply path (31) for taking out sherbet ice from the ice storage tank (T), a water channel (80) through which water flows, which joins the supply path (31). An ice supply device (C) equipped with.
2. The ice supply according to claim 1, further comprising a pump (38) arranged on the downstream side in the flow direction of sherbet ice from the confluence portion where the water flow path (80) joins the supply path (31). Device (C).
3. A flow rate adjusting valve (83) provided in the water flow path (80) and a control unit (25) for controlling the flow rate adjusting valve (83) so that the salt concentration of the sherbet ice after merging becomes a target value. The ice supply device (C) according to claim 1 or 2, further provided.
4. A first temperature sensor (84) for detecting the temperature of the sherbet ice or a first concentration sensor (84) for detecting the salt concentration of the sherbet ice is further provided downstream of the confluence in the flow direction of the sherbet ice.
   The control unit (25) adjusts the flow rate adjusting valve (83) so that the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor (84) or the concentration detected by the first concentration sensor (84) becomes a target value. The ice supply device (C) according to claim 3, which is controlled.
5. A first temperature sensor (84) for detecting the temperature of the sherbet ice is further provided downstream of the confluence in the flow direction of the sherbet ice.
   The control unit (25) calculates a salt concentration from the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor (84), and controls the flow rate adjusting valve (83) so that the calculated salt concentration becomes a target value. The ice supply device (C) according to claim 3.
6. The ice supply device (C) according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the control unit (25) controls the opening degree and / or opening time of the flow rate adjusting valve (83).
7. A second concentration sensor (92) for detecting the salt concentration of sherbet ice in the ice storage tank (T) is further provided.
   The control unit (25) prohibits the operation of taking out the sherbet ice in the ice storage tank (T) when the salt concentration detected by the second concentration sensor (92) is not within the predetermined range, according to claim 3. The ice supply device (C) according to any one of claims 6.
8. A second temperature sensor (92) that detects the temperature of sherbet ice in the ice storage tank (T), and
   The temperature of the medium to be cooled, which is supplied to the ice storage tank (T) before the operation of the ice making device (T) and detected by the second temperature sensor (92), and the inside of the ice storage tank (T) after the operation of the ice making device (I) is started. The claim 1 is further provided with a salt concentration calculation unit (25a) for calculating the salt concentration of the sherbet ice based on the temperature of the sherbet ice stored in the second temperature sensor (92) and detected by the second temperature sensor (92). Item 6. The ice supply device (C) according to any one of items 7.
9. The ice supply device (C) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising an input unit (26) for receiving the salt concentration and amount of sherbet ice taken out from the ice storage tank (T).
10. The supply channel (31) is arranged in the ice storage tank (T) and has an outlet (42) for taking out sherbet ice in the ice storage tank (T).
    The outlet (42) is arranged below the liquid level (L) of sherbet ice in the ice storage tank (T) by a predetermined distance, according to any one of claims 1 to 9. Ice supply device (C).
11. The ice supply device (C) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein cooled water flows through the water flow path (80).
12. The ice supply device (C) according to claim 11, further comprising a cooling device (100) for cooling the water flowing through the water flow path (80).
13. The refrigerant circuit that produces the sherbet ice and
    An ice making system (S) comprising the ice supply device (C) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
14. The refrigerant circuit
    Compressor (2) and
    The first heat exchanger (3) that dissipates heat from the refrigerant compressed by the compressor (2), and
    It includes a second heat exchanger (1) that cools the cooled medium by exchanging heat between the refrigerant radiated by the first heat exchanger (3) and the cooled medium that is the raw material of the sherbet ice. The ice making system (S) according to claim 13.
15. The refrigerant circuit
    14. Claim 14 further includes a third heat exchanger (100) that cools the water by exchanging heat between the refrigerant radiated by the first heat exchanger (3) and the water flowing through the water flow path (80). The ice making system (S) according to.
16. The ice making system (S) according to claim 15, further comprising a water tank (81) for storing water cooled by the third heat exchanger (100).
17. A third temperature sensor (103) that detects the temperature of the water in the water tank (81), and
    A control valve (101) that controls the flow of the refrigerant in the third heat exchanger (100),
    The ice making system (S) according to claim 16, further comprising a second control unit (27) that controls the operation of the control valve (101) based on the detection temperature of the third temperature sensor (103).
18. The ice making system (S) according to claim 17, wherein the third temperature sensor (103) is arranged on the lower side in the water tank (81).
19. Ice making device (I) and
    An ice making system (S) comprising the ice supply device (C) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
    

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