Machine to Make, Store and Use Ice

Abstract

The invention makes a solid block or blocks of ice, stores the ice where it is made, and when needed consumes the ice as a heat sink for cooling or refrigeration. The invention is directed at the market for reduction of peak electric loads, by making ice at night when electric rates are low and ambient temperatures cool, and using the ice for cooling during the day in periods of high temperatures and high electric rates. Ice is made/consumed by direct contact with the cooled/heated surface, giving high heat transfer rates and efficiency. The basic concept is expressed in a number of embodiments, allowing for a variety of uses in small to extremely large applications.

1 . A machine which
 a. Generates ice by means of a generating surface cooled by Freon or other refrigerant, which generating surface is repetitively detached a short distance from the previously frozen ice by separating the generating surface and the frozen ice at a shallow angle relative to the generating surface, which separation opens a gap between the generating surface and the previously frozen ice, which gap is simultaneously filled with water which immediately freezes, and by such repetitive action generates a block of solid ice, and   b. stores the ice in situ, for later use, and   c. when cooling is needed, consumes the ice by redirecting the flow of refrigerant such that the machine receives warm refrigerant from, for example, the heat exchanger of an air conditioning system or the condenser of a refrigeration system, uses the warm refrigerant to warm the generating surface, and forces the warm generating surface against the ice, thereby quickly and efficiently melting the ice and cooling the refrigerant, which refrigerant is then returned for use in the air conditioning or refrigeration system, and which   d. incorporates sensors and controls, as necessary, in order to interface with the air conditioning or refrigeration system to which it is attached and to maximize the efficiency of the total system.   
     
     
         2 . A machine as in  claim 1  wherein said generating surface moves through a water-filled or air-filled vessel of cylindrical or prismatic shape, generating a block of solid ice behind it as it moves, and when cooling is needed consumes the ice by moving the warmer generating surface in the opposite direction, melting the ice by contact. 
     
     
         3 . A machine as in  claim 2  wherein said generating surface is in the form of the exterior of a cone which is detached from the frozen ice by withdrawing the generating surface from the face of the previously frozen ice, and for certain cone angles by simultaneously rotating the generating surface. 
     
     
         4 . A machine as in  claim 2  wherein the generating surface is in the form of a round flat circular plate which is detached from the frozen ice by simultaneously rotating and withdrawing the generating surface from the face of the previously frozen ice, and in which at the center of said circular plate there may be a cone, a heated section, or a small separately rotating flat circular plate. 
     
     
         5 . A machine as in  claim 2  wherein said generating surface is in the form of the exterior surface of a pyramid whose base is a square, rectangle or other polygon, and in which said generating surface is repetitively detached from the frozen ice by withdrawing the generating surface a short distance from the face of the previously frozen ice. 
     
     
         6 . A machine as in  claim 2  wherein the generating surface is in the form of a flat plate which is detached from the frozen ice by moving sideways, across the face of the ice block, and simultaneously withdrawing from the ice block. 
     
     
         7 . A machine as in  claim 1  wherein the generating surface is in the form of the interior surface of a truncated cone or pyramid, which generating surface is fixed in the top or bottom of an air or water-filled insulating vessel of cylindrical or prismatic shape, and from which generating surface the frozen ice is repetitively detached by the action of a ram at the tip of the cone or pyramid, thus quickly and efficiently making a column of ice, and when cooling is needed quickly and efficiently generates cold refrigerant by progressively melting the ice block. 
     
     
         8 . A machine as in  claim 7  wherein the generating surface is in the form of the interior surface of a truncated cone, which generating surface is fixed in the bottom of an insulating vessel of cylindrical shape, and from which generating surface the frozen ice is repetitively detached by the action of a ram at the tip of the cone, which ram acts by first rotating, then pushing the ice block upwards, and then rotating as it is withdrawn, and which ram has a frontal surface in the form of a flat circular plate or a flat circular plate with a conical projection at its center. 
     
     
         9 . A machine as in  claim 7  wherein the generating surface is in the form of the interior of a truncated pyramid, which generating surface is fixed in the end of a vessel of prismatic shape, and from which generating surface the frozen ice is repetitively detached by the action of a circular ram at the tip of the pyramid, which ram acts by first rotating, then pushing the ice block upwards, and then rotating as it is withdrawn, and which ram has a frontal surface in the form of a flat circular plate or a flat circular plate with a conical projection at its center, and in which the edges of the pyramidal shape of the generating surface are tapered to the shape of a circle at the point at which it meets the circular ram. 
     
     
         10 . A machine as in  claim 2  wherein said generating surface is in the form of the interior of a truncated cone or pyramid, with a ram at the truncated end of the cone or pyramid, and in which said generating surface is repetitively detached from the frozen ice by withdrawing the generating surface from the face of the previously frozen ice while said ice is restrained from moving by the ram, which ram then withdraws. 
     
     
         11 . A machine as in  claim 10  wherein said generating surface is in the form of the interior of a truncated cone or pyramid, with a ram at the truncated end of the cone or pyramid, and in which said generating surface is repetitively detached from the frozen ice by first rotating the ram, then withdrawing the generating surface from the face of the previously frozen ice while said ice is restrained from moving by the ram, which ram then simultaneously rotates and withdraws, and which ram has a frontal surface in the form of a flat circular plate or a flat circular plate with a conical projection at its center. 
     
     
         12 . A machine as in  claim 1  wherein multiple generating surfaces of the type described in  claim 9  are arranged in the form of a continuous horizontal grid which is fixed at the top or bottom of a water-filled tank, or at the bottom of an air-filled tank. 
     
     
         13 . A machine as in  claim 1  wherein two grids as described in  claim 12  are fixed at the top and bottom of an air or water-filled tank. 
     
     
         14 . A machine as described in  claim 2  wherein multiple generating surfaces are connected to form a horizontal grid, which grid may move vertically within in a water-filled rectangular tank of any length and width, and in which said generating surfaces may be on the lower face of the grid, in which case the grid starts at the bottom of the tank and moves upward through the tank, generating a solid block of ice below the grid as it moves upward; or in which said generating surfaces may be on the upper surface of the grid, in which case the grid starts at the top of the tank and moves downward through the tank, generating a solid block of ice above the grid as it moves downward. 
     
     
         15 . A machine with two horizontal grids of the type described in  claim 12  which are fixed at the top and bottom of a water filled tank, and with multiple moving horizontal grids of the type described in  claim 14  suspended in the tank, which arrangement would allow a tank of any height to be used. 
     
     
         16 . A machine as in  claim 14  wherein the individual generating surfaces are square or rectangular flat plates arranged in the form of a grid, with a small space between each plate and the adjacent plate, and in which the plates are moved in unison or are alternately moved, for instance with one half of the plates, in a pattern similar to the red squares on are checkerboard, being first moved, and then the remaining plates being moved, with the motion of each plate to be simultaneously lateral to and away from the previously formed ice surface such that the direction of motion of the individual plates is at a shallow angle to the surface of the previously formed ice, with the result that after all the plates have moved, the entire grid will have shifted laterally and away from the previously formed ice at a shallow angle, allowing the ice generation process to continue. The next lateral motion of the plates will be in the direction opposite to the previous motion, such that the overall pattern of motion of the grid will be a zigzag, with the net motion in a direction away from and perpendicular to the surface of the ice block. 
     
     
         17 . A machine as in  claim 14  wherein the individual generating surfaces are in the form of the exterior of a cone or of a square or rectangular pyramid, arranged in the form of a grid, and in which the generating surfaces are alternately retracted, for instance with one half of the surfaces being retracted from the previously formed ice, in a pattern similar to the red squares on a chessboard, and then the remaining surfaces being retracted. 
     
     
         18 . A machine as in  claim 14  wherein the individual generating surfaces are in the form of the interior of a truncated cone or pyramid, and from which generating surfaces the frozen ice is repetitively detached by the action of a circular ram at the tip of each pyramid, which ram acts by first rotating, then pushing the ice block upwards, and then rotating as it is withdrawn; and which ram has a frontal surface in the form of a flat circular plate or a flat circular plate with a conical projection at its center; and in which the edge of the pyramidal shape of each generating surface is tapered to the shape of a circle at the point at which it meets the circular ram; and in which all of said rams act in unison. 
     
     
         19 . A machine as in  claim 5 , wherein the generating surface has a cross-section in the shape of the exterior of a V or of an inverted V, and in which said generating surface extends lengthwise within a water-filled trough of any length, and in which said generating surface is repetitively detached from the frozen ice by withdrawing the generating surface downwards a short distance from the face of the previously frozen ice. 
     
     
         20 . A machine as in  claim 5 , wherein the generating surface has a cross-section in the shape of the exterior of a V, and in which said generating surface extends lengthwise within an air-filled trough of any length, and in which said generating surface is attached to a plate or beam which runs the length of the trough, and in which said beam and generating surface are moved vertically by a series of hydraulic cylinders or other means. 
     
     
         21 . A machine as in  claim 7  or  claim 9 , wherein the generating surface extends lengthwise and forms an elongated V-shaped trough, in the base of which V-shaped trough are a series of circular rams, which rams may be placed continuously or spaced along the length of said V-shaped trough, in such manner that the action of said rams and generating surface produce a continuous “wall” of ice. 
     
     
         22 . A machine as in  claim 10  or  claim 11 , wherein the generating surface extends lengthwise and forms an elongated V-shaped trough, in the base of which V-shaped trough are a series of circular rams, which rams may be placed continuously or spaced along the length of said V-shaped trough, and in which the generating surface together with the rams moves downward in an elongated tank in such manner that the action of said rams and generating surface produce a continuous “wall” of ice. 
     
     
         23 . A generating surface as in  claim 2 , wherein said generating surface moves through a water-filled vessel of cylindrical or prismatic shape, generating a block of solid ice behind it as it moves. 
     
     
         24 . A generating surface as in  claim 3 , wherein said generating surface is in the form of the exterior of a cone which is detached from the frozen ice by withdrawing the generating surface from the face of the previously frozen ice, and for certain cone angles by simultaneously rotating the generating surface. 
     
     
         25 . A generating surface as in  claim 4 , wherein the generating surface is in the form of a round flat circular plate which is detached from the frozen ice by simultaneously rotating and withdrawing the generating surface from the face of the previously frozen ice, and in which at the center of said circular plate there may be a cone, a heated section, or a small separately rotating flat circular plate. 
     
     
         26 . A generating surface as in  claim 5 , wherein said generating surface is in the form of the exterior surface of a pyramid whose base is a square, rectangle or other polygon and in which said generating surface is repetitively detached from the frozen ice by withdrawing the generating surface from the face of the previously frozen ice. 
     
     
         27 . A generating surface as in  claim 6 , wherein the generating surface is in the form of a flat plate which is detached from the frozen ice by moving sideways, across the face of the ice block, and simultaneously withdrawing from the ice block. 
     
     
         28 . A generating surface and ram as in  claim 7 , wherein the generating surface is in the form of the interior surface of a truncated cone or pyramid, which generating surface is fixed in the top or bottom of an air or water-filled insulating vessel of cylindrical or prismatic shape, and from which generating surface the frozen ice is repetitively detached by the action of a ram at the tip of the cone or pyramid, thus quickly and efficiently making a column of ice, and when cooling is needed quickly and efficiently generates cold refrigerant by progressively melting the ice block. 
     
     
         29 . A generating surface and ram as in  claim 8 , wherein said generating surface is in the form of the interior of a truncated cone which generating surface is fixed in the bottom of an insulating vessel of cylindrical shape, and from which generating surface the frozen ice is repetitively detached by the action of a ram at the tip of the cone, which ram acts by first rotating, then pushing the ice block upwards, and then rotating as it is withdrawn, and which ram has a frontal surface in the form of a flat circular plate or a flat circular plate with a conical projection at its center. 
     
     
         30 . A generating surface and ram as in  claim 9 , wherein said generating surface is in the form of the interior of a truncated pyramid, which generating surface is fixed in the end of a vessel of prismatic shape, and from which generating surface the frozen ice is repetitively detached by the action of a circular ram at the tip of the pyramid, which ram acts by first rotating, then pushing the ice block upwards, and then rotating as it is withdrawn, and which ram has a frontal surface in the form of a flat circular plate or a flat circular plate with a conical projection at its center, and in which the edges of the pyramidal shape of the generating surface are tapered to the shape of a circle at the point at which it meets the circular ram. 
     
     
         31 . A generating surface and ram as in  claim 10 , wherein said generating surface is in the form of the interior of a truncated cone or pyramid and in which said generating surface is repetitively detached from the frozen ice by withdrawing the generating surface from the face of the previously frozen ice, while said ice is restrained from moving by a ram, which ram then withdraws. 
     
     
         32 . A generating surface and ram as in  claim 11 , wherein said generating surface is in the form of the interior of a truncated cone or pyramid and in which said generating surface is repetitively detached from the frozen ice by withdrawing the generating surface from the face of the previously frozen ice, while said ice is restrained from moving by a ram, which ram then simultaneously rotates and withdraws, and which ram has a frontal surface in the form of a flat circular plate or a flat circular plate with a conical projection at its center. 
     
     
         33 . A generating grid as in  claim 12 , wherein multiple generating surfaces of the type described in  claim 9  are arranged in the form of a continuous horizontal grid which is fixed at the top or bottom of a water-filled tank, or at the bottom of an air-filled tank. 
     
     
         34 . A generating grid as in  claim 14 , wherein multiple generating surfaces are connected to form a horizontal grid, which grid is supported in a water-filled flat tank of any length and width, and in which said generating surface may be on the lower surface of the grid, which grid moves upward through the tank, in which case a solid block of ice is formed below the grid as it moves upward, or in which said generating surface may be on the upper surface of the grid, which grid moves downward through the tank, in which case a solid block of ice is formed above the grid as it moves downward. 
     
     
         35 . A generating grid as in  claim 16 , wherein the individual generating surfaces are square or rectangular flat plates arranged in the form of a grid, with a small space between each plate and the adjacent plate, and in which the plates are moved in unison or are alternately moved, for instance with one half of the plates, in a pattern similar to the red squares on are checkerboard, being first moved, and then the remaining plates being moved, with the motion of each plate to be simultaneously lateral to and away from the previously formed ice surface such that the direction of motion of the individual plates is at a shallow angle to the surface of the previously formed ice, with the result that after all the plates have moved, the entire grid will have shifted laterally and away from the previously formed ice at a shallow angle, allowing the ice generation process to continue. The next lateral motion of the plates will be in the direction opposite to the previous motion, such that the overall pattern of motion of the grid will be a zigzag, with the net motion in a direction away from and perpendicular to the surface of the ice block. 
     
     
         36 . A generating grid as in  claim 17 , wherein the individual generating surfaces are square or rectangular pyramids arranged in the form of a grid, with a small space between each surface and the adjacent surface, and in which the generating surfaces are moved in unison or are alternately moved, for instance with one half of the surfaces being moved away from the previously formed ice, in a pattern similar to the red squares on are checkerboard, and then the remaining surfaces being moved, with the motion of each generating surface to be perpendicular to the plane of the grid, allowing the ice generation process to continue. 
     
     
         37 . A ram as in  claim 8 , which rotates as it is withdrawn. 
     
     
         38 . A ram as in  claim 8 , which acts by first rotating, then pushing the ice block upwards, and then rotating as it is withdrawn.