How It Works | ICEU060 |
Refrigeration System
Harvest Cycle
(When the cubes are released)
The ice cubes have been formed in an inverted mold that was refrigerated. Now the refrigeration system will change to warm the cube mold and release the cubes.
The process begins at the compressor. There, refrigerant vapor is compressed and flows from the compressor through the discharge line as a high temperature, high pressure gas. Before the gas gets to the condenser, it goes through a strainer. The strainer outlet is connected to two tubes, one which leads to a hot gas valve solenoid. When this valve opens, the refrigerant gas follows the path of least resistance and flows through the tubing from the hot gas valve to the evaporator, where the ice cubes are frozen.
At the evaporator, the high temperature gases are cooled by the cold temperatures of the cube mold, and condense onto liquid, transferring heat to the mold which warms up and releases the cubes. The refrigerant, now a low pressure, low temperature vapor, flows into the accumulator, which traps excess liquid refrigerant. The vapor, now primarily a gas, goes through the suction line tube to the compressor where the cycle is repeated.
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