Ice machine including vapor-compression system

Abstract

An ice machine may include a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, an evaporator, an ice tray, and a water pump. The first heat exchanger may receive compressed working fluid from the compressor. The expansion device may receive working fluid from the first heat exchanger. The evaporator may receive working fluid from the expansion device. The ice tray may be in a heat transfer relationship with the evaporator. The ice tray may include a plurality of ice molds. The water pump may be in fluid communication with the ice molds and may be configured to pump water from a water source to the ice molds.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ice machine comprising:
 a compressor;   a first heat exchanger receiving compressed working fluid from the compressor;   an expansion device receiving working fluid from the first heat exchanger;   an evaporator receiving working fluid from the expansion device;   an ice tray in a heat transfer relationship with the evaporator, the ice tray including a plurality of ice molds; and   a water pump in fluid communication with the ice molds and configured to pump water from a water source to the ice molds,   wherein structural characteristics of at least one of the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the expansion device, and the evaporator are specified based on output from a processor,   the processor receiving a first set of values for a first set of parameters of the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the expansion device, and the evaporator,   the processor calculating a second set of parameters of the ice machine based on at least a portion of the first set of values, a water temperature and an ambient air temperature, the second set of parameters corresponding to operation of the ice machine in a freeze mode in which liquid water is cooled in the ice molds by the evaporator, and   the processor calculating a third set of parameters of the ice machine based on at least a portion of the first set of values, the water temperature and the ambient temperature, the third set of parameters corresponding to operation of the ice machine in a harvest mode during which a predetermined amount of ice is melted until the ice is removed from the ice molds.   
     
     
         2 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a water sump disposed within the evaporator and in fluid communication with the water pump. 
     
     
         3 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a second heat exchanger including a first coil and a second coil, the first coil receiving working fluid from the first heat exchanger and disposed upstream of the expansion device, the second coil receiving working fluid from the evaporator and disposed upstream of the compressor. 
     
     
         4 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of parameters includes one or more of a compressor capacity, compressor efficiency, compressor motor speed, geometric parameters of the first heat exchanger and the evaporator, initial pressures of the evaporator and the first heat exchanger at a startup of the ice machine, and/or an air flow rate of a condenser fan. 
     
     
         5 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying values of the second and third sets of parameters. 
     
     
         6 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the second and third sets of parameters include energy consumption of the ice-making machine and ice production of the ice-making machine. 
     
     
         7 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the second set of parameters includes heat transfer between first and second conduits of a heat exchanger, the first conduit containing condensed refrigerant upstream of an expansion device, the second conduit receiving refrigerant downstream of the evaporator and upstream of a suction inlet of a compressor. 
     
     
         8 . The ice machine of  claim 1 , wherein the second set of parameters includes a flow area of an expansion device, and wherein the third set of parameters includes a flow area of a bypass control valve. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 selecting a first set of values for a first set of parameters of one or more hardware components of an ice-making machine;   identifying a water temperature at a water inlet of the ice-making machine;   identifying an ambient air temperature surrounding the ice-making machine;   calculating a second set of parameters of the ice-making machine based on at least a portion of the first set of values, the water temperature and the ambient temperature, the second set of parameters corresponding to operation of the ice-making machine in a freeze mode in which liquid water is cooled by an evaporator; and   calculating a third set of parameters of the ice-making machine based on at least a portion of the first set of values, the water temperature and the ambient temperature, the third set of parameters corresponding to operation of the ice-making machine in a harvest mode during which a predetermined amount of ice is melted until the ice is removed from the evaporator.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 selecting a second set of values for the first set of parameters of the one or more hardware components;   calculating the second set of parameters of the ice-making machine based on at least a portion of the second set of values;   calculating the third set of parameters of the ice-making machine based on at least a portion of the second set of values; and   comparing results of the calculations of the second and third sets of parameters based on the first values with the results of the calculations of the second and third sets of parameters based on the second values.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the results include energy consumption of the ice-making machine and ice production of the ice-making machine. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising designing a vapor-compression system based on the comparison of the results. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein designing the vapor-compression system includes selecting a compressor based on the comparison of the results. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first set of parameters include one or more of a compressor capacity, compressor efficiency, compressor motor speed, geometric parameters of a condenser and the evaporator, an initial evaporator and condenser pressures at a startup of the ice-making machine, and/or an air flow rate of a condenser fan. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising displaying values of the second and third sets of parameters. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second and third sets of parameters include energy consumption of the ice-making machine and ice production of the ice-making machine. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second set of parameters includes heat transfer between first and second conduits of a heat exchanger, the first conduit containing condensed refrigerant upstream of an expansion device, the second conduit receiving refrigerant downstream of the evaporator and upstream of a suction inlet of a compressor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second set of parameters includes a flow area of an expansion device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the third set of parameters includes a flow area of a bypass control valve. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein calculating the second and third sets of parameters includes using an implicit solver to solving sets of equations to satisfy Kirchhoff's first and second laws at nodes of a vapor-compression system of the ice-making machine.