What is ice machine?

Ice machine is refrigeration mechanical equipment that cools water through the evaporator and is cooled by the refrigerant of the refrigeration system to generate ice.

A refrigeration system is used to use water as a carrier to pass through a certain device in an electrified state to create ice. Depending on the principle and production method of the evaporator, the shapes of the ice cubes generated are also different. People generally divide ice making machines into granular ice machines, flake ice machines, and ice making machines based on ice shape.

Working principle

Through the replenishing water valve, water automatically enters a reservoir, and then the water is pumped through the flow control valve to the splitter head, where the water is sprayed evenly onto the surface of the ice maker and flows through the ice maker like a water curtain. On the wall, the water is cooled to the freezing point, and the water that has not been evaporated and frozen will flow into the water tank through the porous groove, and the cycle will start again.

When the ice reaches the required thickness, the hot air discharged from the compressor is directed back into the ice maker wall to replace the low-temperature liquid refrigerant. In this way, a thin film of water is formed between the ice and the wall of the evaporation tube. This water film will act as a lubrication when the ice falls freely into the groove below due to gravity. The water produced during the ice harvesting cycle will return to the water storage tank through the porous trough, which also prevents wet ice from being discharged by the machine.

1, The chilled water in the water storage tank is continuously circulated through the plate or grid evaporator by a water pump.

2, After the compressor is running, it goes through suction-compression-discharge-condensation (liquefaction)-throttle-and then evaporates and absorbs heat and vaporizes in the evaporator at a low temperature of -10 to -18 degrees. Frozen water continuously condenses into an ice layer on the surface of the evaporator at a lower temperature at a water temperature of 0 degrees. When the ice layer condenses to a certain thickness and the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant reaches the set temperature of the temperature control, the defrost solenoid valve is turned on, often using a heat pump to remove ice, and then the next cycle is achieved.

Ice making process

Through the water inlet valve, the water automatically enters a water storage tank, and then pumps water to the shunt pipe through the water pump. The shunt pipe flows the water evenly to the evaporator cooled by the low-temperature liquid refrigerant. The water is cooled to the freezing point. These are cooled to the freezing point. The water will solidify and turn into ice, and the water that has not been frozen by the evaporator flows into the water storage tank and starts the cycle again through the water pump.

When the ice reaches the required thickness, it enters the de-icing state, and the high-pressure hot gas discharged from the compressor is directed to the evaporator through the reversing valve to replace the low-temperature liquid refrigerant. In this way, a layer of water film is formed between the ice cubes and the evaporator. This water film causes the ice cubes to escape from the evaporator, and the ice cubes fall freely into the ice storage tank below due to gravity.

Main categories

Ice machines can be divided into commercial ice machines, household ice machines, and industrial ice machines.

Ice machines are classified according to the shape of the ice: there are granular ice (cylindrical, square, moon-shaped), snowflake type, flake ice and crescent ice.

Keywords: ice machine, ice making, commercial ice machines, household ice machines.