Ice-making device utilizing pulse electric devices to harvest ice

Abstract

An ice-making machine comprising: an evaporator comprising at least one ice-forming surface; a water supply, a refrigerant supply and an electrical energy source; wherein the water supply supplies water that forms ice on the ice-forming surface during an ice-making mode, and wherein the electrical energy source applies an electrical pulse energy to the evaporator to melt an interfacial layer of the ice such that it is freed from the ice-forming surface during a harvesting mode.

1 . An ice-making machine comprising: 
 an evaporator comprising at least one ice-forming surface;    a water supply, a refrigerant supply and an electrical energy source;    wherein said water supply supplies water that forms ice on said ice-forming surface during an ice-making mode, and    wherein said electrical energy source applies an electrical pulse energy to said evaporator to melt an interfacial layer of said ice such that it is freed from said ice-forming surface during a harvesting mode.    
     
     
         2 . The ice-making machine of  claim 1 , wherein said evaporator is flat, and said refrigerant supply comprises a plurality of passages disposed within said evaporator.  
     
     
         3 . The ice-making machine of  claim 1 , wherein said evaporator is cylindrical, and said refrigerant supply comprises a plurality of passages disposed within said evaporator.  
     
     
         4 . The ice-making machine of  claim 1 , wherein said evaporator comprises a plurality of layers, wherein one of said layers is a dielectric layer.  
     
     
         5 . The ice-making machine of  claim 1 , wherein said evaporator is a rotational drum, said rotational drum comprising a plurality of resistive heater strips disposed on said ice-forming surface, and wherein said refrigerant supply comprises one or more refrigerant passages disposed within the center of said rotational drum.  
     
     
         6 . The ice-making machine of  claim 1 , wherein said ice has a thickness between about 0.020″ and about 0.100″.  
     
     
         7 . A method of making thin or flake ice with an ice-making machine that comprises an evaporator comprising at least one ice-forming surface, a water supply, a refrigerant supply, and an electrical energy source, said method comprising: 
 continuously operating said water supply and said refrigerant supply to form ice on said ice-forming surfaces; and    during a harvest mode operating said electrical energy source to apply electrical pulse energy to said evaporator assembly to melt an interfacial layer of said ice such that it is freed from said surfaces.    
     
     
         8 . A method of making thin or flake ice with an ice-making machine that comprises a rotational drum evaporator comprising a plurality of resistive heater strips on a surface of said rotational drum evaporator, a water supply, a refrigerant supply, and an electrical energy source, said method comprising: 
 continuously rotating said rotational drum evaporator in said water supply,    operating said refrigerant supply to form ice on said surface; and    during a harvest mode operating said electrical energy source to apply electrical pulse energy to said resistive heater strips to melt an interfacial layer of said ice such that said ice is freed from said surface.