The
ice machine is one of the most important equipment in a laboratory. It is used
primarily for preserving important samples and controlling temperatures during
experiments. Laboratory
ice maker machines should be installed by professionals otherwise a
faulty installation procedure can cause the machine to malfunction. In this
small article, you will learn about how the ice machines need to be installed
in order to work properly.
How Does the Ice Machine Work?
The
ice machine functions in the following ways:
·
Cold water is stored inside the tank which has a pump that
helps in circulation through evaporator plates and grid points.
·
Once the run through the compressor suction is done then the
liquefaction process will be done.
·
Again the temperature is lowered to under minus ten degrees
when the evaporated chilled water condenses on the evaporation plates and turns
into ice gradually. The condensed ice will be of a specific thickness.
·
The procedure of defrosting is also available which can help
with the de-icing. Thus, the process can be repeated again and again.
Ice Making Repetitions:
Water
will automatically start to enter the storage tanks through the additional
water valves. After that it, it will go into the flow control valves from where
it goes into the pump heads and finally, the shunt. Inside the shunt, the water
gets sprayed on the special ice surfaces where water gets
cooled to its freezing point. The frozen water will not evaporate but will go
into tank through the porous walls and thus the process continues to repeat
itself again.
Ice Defrost Cycle:
After
the ice reaches a certain predetermined thickness then hot gas will be
discharged from a compressor. The gas is directed to the ice maker with a low
temperature refrigerant for liquids. Lubrication processes help the gas to
facilitate the evaporation process on the ice surface which results in gradual
defrosting of the ice. The water which is generated through defrosting gets
added back to the water reservoir through porous walls. Such a design also
prevents the ice maker machine from getting wet when ice is being discharged.
Condensation:
Inside
the laboratory
ice machine, there will be mechanisms to facilitate the condensation
process also. You will have both options: either water-cooled condensation or
by evaporative condensers. For evaporative condensation, there is a evaporative
plate which is placed inside the ice machine while for water-cooled
condensation, the condenser is placed at the bottom or inside the refrigeration
system. Evaporative condensation is quite useful for implementation in high air
temperatures and it is also more energy efficient. But water-condensation is
useful when you need to lower temperatures in the experiment set-up.
Installing the Ice Maker:
·
Go through the manual thoroughly and learn about all the
different parts which need to be joined together.
·
Do not plug in the main switch before installation is
complete.
It
is highly recommended that you hire a professional to come and install your ice
maker machine because this is a complicated job. Several suppliers offer free
installation also and you should consider taking their help.
No comments:
Post a Comment