Ice producing apparatus and method

Abstract

A method of producing ice in a refrigerator includes flowing a refrigerant through a cooling system to cool an interior compartment of the refrigerator, flowing a cooling medium different than the refrigerant through a first heat exchanger to decrease a temperature of the cooling medium, and flowing the cooling medium through a second heat exchanger to freeze water that is disposed in an ice mold adjacent the second heat exchanger.

1 . A method of producing ice in a refrigerator, comprising:
 flowing a refrigerant through a cooling system to cool an interior compartment of the refrigerator;   flowing a cooling medium different than the refrigerant through a first heat exchanger to decrease a temperature of the cooling medium; and   flowing the cooling medium through a second heat exchanger to freeze water that is disposed in an ice mold adjacent the second heat exchanger.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein flowing the cooling medium through the first heat exchanger comprises decreasing the temperature of the cooling medium to a temperature below a freezing point temperature of water. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein flowing the cooling medium through the first heat exchanger comprises decreasing the temperature of the cooling medium to a temperature below a freezing point temperature of water, and wherein the second heat exchanger is downstream of the first heat exchanger without an intervening heat exchanger therebetween. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein flowing the cooling medium through the first heat exchanger comprises absorbing heat from the cooling medium. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein flowing the cooling medium through the first heat exchanger comprises absorbing heat from the cooling medium by the refrigerant. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the cooling medium comprises propylene glycol. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein flowing the cooling medium through the first heat exchanger comprises decreasing the temperature of the cooling medium to a temperature below a freezing point temperature of water through absorption of heat by the refrigerant, and wherein the second heat exchanger is downstream of the first heat exchanger. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 flowing the cooling medium through a third heat exchanger to cool ice received in an ice receptacle from the ice mold.