JP2006177635A - Manufacturing device for flake-like ice - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flake-like ice manufacturing device capable of preventing a toxic component in a magnetic fluid from being contained in flake ice, capable of generating continuously and efficiently the flake ice by controlling magnetic force imparted to the magnetic fluid, and allowing size reduction and carriage. <P>SOLUTION: This flake ice manufacturing device has a reservoir vessel 2 for storing an aqueous solution, and a cooling part 3 provided with an ice generating face 31 for generating the flake ice F while contacting with the aqueous solution in inner walls 21, 22 of the reservoir vessel 2, and provided with a magnetic fluid layer 33 with a space 32 in a reverse side of the ice generating face 31, a cooling means 4 for cooling the magnetic fluid layer 33, and a magnetic force control means 5 for bringing the magnetic fluid layer 33 into contact with the reverse side of the ice generating face 31, by imparting or stopping the magnetic force to the magnetic fluid layer 33 cooled by the cooling means 4, and supplies the flake ice F continuously while bringing the magnetic fluid layer 33 into contact with the reverse side of the ice generating face 31, or while separating it therefrom, by controlling the magnetic force. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing flaky ice, which is a source of liquid ice used in fresh food cooling, latent heat storage systems, and the like, and in particular, controls the timing of cold supply by using magnetic fluid as a cold heat transfer medium. The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing flaky ice that can control the timing of generation and separation of flaky ice.

  Conventionally, several methods for continuously producing liquid ice and flaky ice have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-140824 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-42811 have a structure in which flake ice is generated in a cooling drum, and the flake ice is scraped using a spiral scraping blade or a rotating blade. An ice making machine is described (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2). Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-170111 discloses that a cooling layer having a low thermal conductivity and a smooth contact surface is used to naturally cool ice crystals generated on the contact surface by an aqueous solution containing an antifreeze agent by buoyancy. An ice making device is described which is detached from the patent (Patent Document 3).

  On the other hand, although the present inventor is at the laboratory level, magnetic fluid is laid on the ice generation surface, and water in contact with the magnetic fluid is directly cooled to generate flaky ice and vibrate the magnetic fluid. We have proposed a technology to peel off the flaky ice produced.

JP 2000-140824 A JP 9-42811 A JP-A-10-170111

  However, the inventions described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 require power for scraping the flake ice produced in the drum, power for rotating a spiral scraping blade, and a rotating blade. Moreover, although the large-sized circular drum is used in order to improve ice making efficiency, it has the problem that the supply-heat loss for ice making will become large.

  Further, in the invention described in Patent Document 3, ice crystals are three-dimensionally grown upward on the cooling contact surface to increase buoyancy, and the buoyancy is used to naturally peel off the cooling contact surface. It is. For this reason, it is necessary to form the supercooling layer which consists of an antifreeze in the vicinity of a cooling part. In addition, in order to reduce the friction between the ice and the cooling contact surface and make it easy to separate, the ice generation surface with low thermal conductivity is used, and ice crystals grow upward rather than laterally on the cooling contact surface. It is like that. In other words, a loss is provided by degrading the thermal conductivity. Therefore, the cold supply heat flux cannot be increased, it is inefficient, and the ice generation rate is slow. Of course, since it is natural separation that is left to buoyancy, the size and generation speed of flaky ice cannot be actively controlled.

  On the other hand, since the ice making method using a magnetic fluid is produced by bringing ice into direct contact with the magnetic fluid, the flaky ice contains harmful substances of the magnetic fluid component. Therefore, it cannot be used for fresh food, and environmental measures are required even when used in a heat storage system, which is not practical. Further, since the magnetic fluid is lost due to the production of flaky ice, it has to be replenished successively, which is troublesome.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve such problems, and the cold supply timing is controlled by applying a magnetic force to the magnetic fluid while preventing the harmful components of the magnetic fluid from being contained in the flaky ice. It is an object of the present invention to provide a flake ice production apparatus that can produce flake ice continuously and efficiently by controlling it, and can be made compact and portable.

  The features of the flaky ice production apparatus according to the present invention include a storage tank that stores a predetermined aqueous solution, and an ice generation surface that generates flaky ice in contact with the aqueous solution on the inner wall of the storage tank, A cooling part having a magnetic fluid layer with a gap on the back side of the ice generating surface, a cooling means for cooling the magnetic fluid layer, and applying or stopping magnetic force to the magnetic fluid layer cooled by the cooling means Thus, magnetic force control means for bringing the magnetic fluid layer into contact with the back side of the ice generating surface is provided.

  In the present invention, the ice generation surface is preferably formed on a smooth surface having a large thermal conductivity, and thereby, it is possible to efficiently control the generation and separation of ice.

  Further, according to the present invention, the contact state and the separation state of the magnetic fluid layer with respect to the back surface of the ice generation surface are switched by the switching control between application and stop of the magnetic force by the magnetic force control means, and the magnetic generation is generated on the ice generation surface. The generation and separation of flaky ice can be selectively performed.

  In the present invention, the cooling unit is provided on the bottom wall of the storage tank, the magnetic fluid layer is disposed below the ice generation surface, and repulsive force due to magnetic force is generated from below the magnetic fluid layer by the magnetic force control means. The magnetic fluid layer is raised and brought into contact with the back side of the ice generation surface to generate flaky ice on the ice generation surface, and the application of the magnetic force is stopped to stop the magnetic fluid layer. May be separated from the back surface of the ice generating surface, and flake ice may be peeled off from the ice generating surface.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the magnetic fluid is provided by disposing the magnetic fluid layer on the outside of the ice generating surface by disposing the cooling portion on the side wall of the storage tank, and stopping the application of magnetic force by the magnetic force control means. A layer is brought into contact with the back surface of the ice generating surface to generate flaky ice on the ice generating surface, and the magnetic fluid layer is applied to the magnetic fluid layer by applying an attractive force from the side by the magnetic force control means. The flake-shaped ice may be peeled off from the ice generating surface by separating from the back surface of the surface.

  Further, in the present invention, the magnetic force control means continuously generates flaky ice on the ice generation surface by repeating the application and stop of the magnetic force to the magnetic fluid layer with a predetermined period. Liquid ice can be continuously supplied, and practicality is further enhanced.

According to the present invention, the following effects can be achieved.
1. Since the cold supply timing can be controlled by applying a magnetic force to the magnetic fluid, continuous flaky ice can be generated.
2. Since the magnetic fluid is not in direct contact with the aqueous solution that is the raw material of the flaky ice, the flaky ice does not contain harmful components of the magnetic fluid and is practical.
3. Traditionally, the use of materials with low thermal conductivity on the ice-generating surface limits the size of the cold supply heat flux and passively (naturally) flake ice by buoyancy before a thick ice layer is formed. However, in the present invention, since the cold supply timing is actively controlled in the present invention, the cold supply heat flux can be increased, and flaky ice can be generated quickly and continuously to improve efficiency. Can be manufactured.
4). Realization of miniaturization and power saving makes it possible to carry it for a long time, and it can be applied to medical fields such as transporting organs for transplantation as well as fresh food refrigeration technology. .

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a flaky ice manufacturing apparatus 1A according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram showing a flaky ice manufacturing apparatus 1A according to a first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the flaky ice manufacturing apparatus 1 </ b> A according to the first embodiment is configured to store an aqueous solution as a raw material of the flaky ice F, and an aqueous solution from a bottom wall portion 21 of the storage tank 2. A cooling unit 3 for cooling, a cooling unit 4 for cooling the magnetic fluid layer 33 formed in the cooling unit 3, and a magnetic force control unit 5 for applying or stopping magnetic force to the magnetic fluid layer 33. Yes.

  The storage tank 2 is formed of a highly heat-insulating material, and a predetermined aqueous solution is stored therein. The aqueous solution to be stored is not limited as long as it is cooled and produces flaky ice F, such as tap water or salt water. However, the lower the icing temperature, the more energy saving can be achieved.

  The cooling unit 3 is provided at the center of the bottom wall 21 of the storage tank 2. Of course, if necessary, the entire bottom wall 21 may be formed in the cooling unit 3, or the bottom wall 21 may be divided and a plurality of cooling units 3 may be arranged. The cooling unit 3 includes an ice generation surface 31 that generates flaky ice F in contact with an aqueous solution, and a magnetic fluid layer 33 that is disposed below the ice generation surface 31 with a gap 32 therebetween. The air gap 32 is an air layer, but may be another special gas layer such as argon, or may be a liquid layer having a specific gravity smaller than that of the magnetic fluid depending on conditions. Further, the ice generation surface 31 is formed of a thin plate having a high thermal conductivity and a smooth contact surface with an aqueous solution in order to quickly and efficiently generate and peel the flaky ice F. Preferably, in the first embodiment, a thin plate made of stainless steel is used. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the magnetic fluid layer 33 is held by a stainless steel bottom plate 34 having the same shape and shape as the ice generating surface 31, and a gap 32 is formed between the ice generating surface 31. The thickness of the air gap 32, the amount of the magnetic fluid layer 33, and the like are arbitrarily determined according to conditions for effectively generating and separating the flaky ice F and the object to be cooled.

  The magnetic fluid layer 33 is made of a magnetic fluid in which magnetic fine particles are dispersed in a predetermined solvent, and has both the properties of a magnetic material and the properties of a liquid. Therefore, when no magnetic force is applied to the magnetic fluid, the water surface is maintained in a substantially horizontal state in accordance with gravity. On the other hand, when a repulsive force or attractive force is applied due to the magnetic force, the form changes due to the magnetic force. In the first embodiment, the center portion of the magnetic fluid layer 33 is raised by a repulsive force from below and comes into contact with the back surface of the bottom plate 34. In addition, as a magnetic fluid, an isoparaffin type magnetite, an alkylnaphthalene type magnetite, etc. can be used.

  The cooling means 4 includes a cooling brine 41 supplied so as to come into contact with the bottom plate 34 of the cooling unit 3 to cool the magnetic fluid layer 33, a brine inflow trough 42 for flowing in the cooling brine 41, A cooling machine 43 for cooling the brine 41 and a circulation pump 44 for circulating the cooling brine 41 between the cooling machine 43 and the brine inlet 42 are configured. The cooling brine 41 is composed of an antifreeze and is cooled to a temperature lower than the freezing temperature of the aqueous solution by the cooler 43. The brine inflow trough 42 is provided below the storage tank 2, and the cooling brine 41 that is flowed by the circulation pump 44 flows in through the circulation pipe 45. In the first embodiment, ethylene glycol is used as the cooling brine 41.

  The magnetic force control means 5 is provided below the bottom plate 34, and includes an electromagnet 51 that generates a magnetic force only when energized, and an electromagnet power source 52 for energizing the electromagnet 51. In the first embodiment, the magnetic force control means 5 generates a magnetic force that gives a repulsive force to the magnetic fluid layer 33. Accordingly, when the electromagnet power source 52 is turned on and the electromagnet 51 is energized, a magnetic force is generated. Therefore, the magnetic fluid layer 33 is raised by the repulsive force of the magnetic force and contacts the back surface of the ice generating surface 31. That is, by switching on / off the electromagnet power supply 52, the contact state and the separation state of the magnetic fluid layer 33 with respect to the back surface of the ice generating surface 31 can be switched.

  Next, the operation of the flake ice manufacturing apparatus 1A in the first embodiment will be described.

  First, when the flake ice F is manufactured by the flake ice manufacturing apparatus 1 </ b> A of the first embodiment, a predetermined aqueous solution is stored in the storage tank 2. When fresh fish such as saury is kept cold by liquid ice, salt water close to seawater is stored as an aqueous solution. Then, the cooling brine 41 sufficiently cooled by the cooler 43 is caused to flow into the brine inflow tank 42 by the circulation pump 44. Thereby, since the cooling brine 41 cools the magnetic fluid layer 33 via the bottom plate 34, the magnetic fluid layer 33 is cooled to a temperature lower than the freezing temperature of the aqueous solution.

  After confirming that the magnetic fluid layer 33 has been cooled to an appropriate temperature by a temperature sensor (not shown), the electromagnet power source 52 is turned on and energized. As a result, the electromagnet 51 generates a magnetic force and applies a repulsive force due to the magnetic force to the magnetic fluid layer 33 held above the bottom plate 34. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2A, the magnetic fluid layer 33 is raised by the repulsive force due to the magnetic force and comes into contact with the back surface of the ice generating surface 31. The ice generating surface 31 is supplied with cold heat from the magnetic fluid layer 33 in contact with the back surface, so that the aqueous solution in contact with the ice generating surface 31 is frozen. At this time, since a thin plate having a high thermal conductivity is used as the ice generation surface 31, ice crystals grow along the ice generation surface 31, and flaky ice F is rapidly generated.

  After that, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the flaky ice F slightly larger than the desired shape is formed, the electromagnet power source 52 is turned off to stop energization. As a result, the energization of the electromagnet 51 is interrupted and the magnetic force disappears, so that the magnetic fluid layer 33 moves downward due to gravity and is separated from the back surface of the ice generating surface 31 as shown in FIG. When the magnetic fluid layer 33 is separated, the ice generating surface 31 absorbs heat from the aqueous solution or the air layer of the gap 32 and melts the contact surface with the flaky ice F. As a result, the sticking force of the flaky ice F to the ice generating surface 31 is weakened, and when the buoyancy wins over this sticking force, the flaky ice F peels off from the ice generating surface 31 and floats to the water surface by the buoyancy of the aqueous solution. To do. At this time, since the ice generation surface 31 is formed of a thin plate having a high thermal conductivity, the heat of fusion can be absorbed quickly and efficiently from the surroundings. Further, the ice generating surface 31 is formed as a smooth surface, and since there are few portions to be caught, the fixing force due to freezing is weak, and the flaky ice F is easily peeled even if the contact surface is slightly melted.

  As described above, the magnetic fluid layer 33 is switched between the state in contact with the back surface of the ice generating surface 31 and the state in which it is separated by actively switching between the generation and stop of the magnetic force by the magnetic force control means 5. The timing of generation and separation of the flaky ice F generated on the generation surface 31 can be selectively controlled. Therefore, a series of processes of continuing to generate a magnetic force until the flaky ice F grows to a desired size and stopping the magnetic force until the flaky ice F peels from the ice generation surface 31 are performed. By making one period and repeating generation and stop of the magnetic force by the magnetic force control means 5 with this period, it is possible to continuously generate the flake ice F having a desired size.

  In addition, since the flaky ice F does not come into direct contact with the magnetic fluid layer 33, the flaky ice F does not contain harmful components of the magnetic fluid and the fresh food that can be ingested by the human body. It is safe to use for cold storage.

  Further, since the ice generating surface 31 having a high thermal conductivity is used, a much larger cold heat supply heat flux can be supplied compared to the conventional case, and the flaky ice F can be generated quickly, and conversely, Since the heat from the air gap 32 is easily absorbed, the adhesion surface of the flaky ice F is melted in a short time when the cold heat supply is cut off. For this reason, the flaky ice F can be supplied rapidly and continuously.

  Moreover, since the supply amount of the flaky ice F per unit time is large as described above and efficient heat supply is possible, there is an advantage that the power consumption can be suppressed as compared with the conventional one.

  Next, a second embodiment of the flaky ice manufacturing apparatus 1B according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is an overall schematic view showing a flaky ice manufacturing apparatus 1B according to the second embodiment. Note that, among the configurations of the second embodiment, the same or corresponding components as those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  A feature of the second embodiment is that, as shown in FIG. 3, a thermoelectric cooling element 46 and a thermoelectric element power supply 47 for energizing the thermoelectric cooling element 46 are used as the cooling means 4. The thermoelectric cooling element 46 functions as a cooling surface where one surface absorbs heat by passing an electric current, and the other surface functions as a heating surface which dissipates heat. Accordingly, the thermoelectric cooling element 46 is provided so that the cooling surface is in contact with the bottom plate 34, and the magnetic fluid layer 33 is cooled by energizing the thermoelectric element power supply 47. In the second embodiment, a Peltier element is used as the thermoelectric cooling element 46. Further, the thermoelectric element power supply 47 may also be used as the electromagnet power supply 52.

  When the flaky ice F is manufactured by the flaky ice manufacturing apparatus 1B of the second embodiment, a current is passed from the thermoelectric power source 47 to the thermoelectric cooling element 46, and the magnetic fluid layer 33 is lower than the freezing point of the aqueous solution. Cool enough until Then, similarly to the first embodiment, the magnetic fluid control layer 5 actively switches between generation and stop of the magnetic force so that the magnetic fluid layer 33 is in contact with the back surface of the ice generation surface 31 and is separated from the surface. The generation and separation of the flaky ice F generated on the ice generation surface 31 are selectively controlled.

  According to the second embodiment as described above, the magnetic fluid layer 33 can be cooled without using a device that is difficult to carry such as the cooler 43 and the circulation pump 44. Electric power is not required and power can be saved, and the entire apparatus can be further downsized. Therefore, in addition to being applicable to cold preservation when transporting fresh food, it can be put into practical use as a transport device for transporting organs and the like. In this case, as compared with a cooler bag used for organ transportation, it can be stably kept for a long time, and is therefore suitable for transportation over a longer distance.

  Next, a third embodiment of the flaky ice manufacturing apparatus 1C according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is an overall schematic view showing a flaky ice manufacturing apparatus 1C according to the third embodiment. Note that, among the configurations of the third embodiment, the same or corresponding components as those of the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The feature of the third embodiment is that the cooling unit 3 is provided on the side wall 22 of the storage tank 2 as shown in FIG. And the cooling means 4 and the magnetic force control means 5 are also arrange | positioned on the outer side of the side wall part 22 according to the arrangement position of the cooling part 3. FIG. In the third embodiment, the magnetic force control means 5 generates a magnetic force that generates an attractive force with the magnetic fluid layer 33. Therefore, when no magnetic force is applied to the magnetic fluid layer 33, as shown in FIG. 4, the magnetic fluid layer 33 is kept in contact with both the ice generating surface 31 and the bottom plate 34 by gravity, while being attracted by the magnetic force. Since the magnetic fluid is attracted to the bottom plate 34 side, an air layer is formed between the ice generation surface 31 and the air gap 32.

  When the flaky ice F is manufactured by the flaky ice manufacturing apparatus 1C of the third embodiment, the magnetic fluid layer 33 is sufficiently cooled by the cooling means 4 until it becomes lower than the freezing point of the aqueous solution. When the flaky ice F is generated, the magnetic force control means 5 is controlled to stop the generation of the magnetic force. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5A, the magnetic fluid layer 33 moves and accumulates below the cooling unit 3 due to gravity, and its lateral surface comes into contact with the back surface of the ice generating surface 31. Is cooled and the aqueous solution freezes on the surface. On the other hand, when the generated flaky ice F is peeled off, if the magnetic force control means 5 is controlled to apply an attractive force due to the magnetic force, the magnetic fluid layer 33 is attracted to the bottom plate (side plate) 34 as shown in FIG. To be separated from the back surface of the ice generating surface 31. Thereby, the ice production | generation surface 31 absorbs heat from aqueous solution or the space | gap 32, and the fixed part of the flaky ice F melt | dissolves. When the buoyancy is greater than the fixing force of the flaky ice F, the flaky ice F is detached from the ice generating surface 31 and supplied to the water surface by the buoyancy.

  According to the third embodiment as described above, in addition to the effects of the first and second embodiments described above, the cooling unit 3 can also be disposed on the side wall 22. In this case, although it depends on conditions, it is conceivable that the flaky ice F generated on the side wall portion 22 is more easily separated from the fixed state by buoyancy. Further, depending on how much magnetic force is required to attract the magnetic fluid layer 33, if the peeling time is considerably shorter than the generation time of the flaky ice F, it is preferable to provide the cooling part 3 on the side wall part 22. In some cases, the total power consumption can be reduced.

  Next, the flaky ice F is actually generated using the flaky ice manufacturing apparatus 1A of the first embodiment, and the size of the flaky ice F with respect to the difference in magnetic fluid temperature, the generation time thereof, and the peeling time are determined. Experiments to measure were performed.

  As experimental conditions, a 2 wt% sodium chloride aqueous solution was used as the aqueous solution, and isoparaffin-based magnetite was used for the magnetic fluid layer 33. The ferrofluid layer 33 is cooled to −8 ° C., −10 ° C., and −15 ° C. by the cooling brine 41, and after applying magnetic force thereto to contact the back surface of the ice generating surface 3 for 30 seconds. Then, the application of the magnetic force was stopped and the ice generating surface 3 was separated from the back surface. In these series of treatments, the diameter of the flaky ice F was measured and the time of the break-off point was measured. In addition, since the flaky ice F does not grow in a circular shape, its diameter is measured as a pseudo circle to some extent.

  FIG. 6 shows the results of this example, and is a graph showing the relationship of the diameter of the flaky ice F with respect to the elapsed time at each temperature of the magnetic fluid layer 33. As shown in FIG. 6, when the magnetic fluid layer 33 was −8 ° C., the diameter grew to about 23 mm 30 seconds after the flaky ice F began to freeze. Thereafter, when the application of the magnetic force was stopped, the flaky ice F separated from the ice generating surface 31 after about 8 seconds. The diameter at the time of separation was about 21 mm. Next, when the magnetic fluid layer 33 was -10 ° C., the diameter grew to about 27 mm 30 seconds after the flaky ice F started to freeze. Thereafter, when the application of the magnetic force was stopped, the flaky ice F separated from the ice generating surface 31 after about 9 seconds. The diameter at the time of separation decreased to about 25 mm. Further, when the magnetic fluid layer 33 was at −15 ° C., the diameter grew to about 33 mm 30 seconds after the flaky ice F started to freeze. Thereafter, when the application of the magnetic force was stopped, the flaky ice F separated from the ice generating surface 31 after about 14 seconds. The diameter at the time of separation was reduced to about 31 mm. The decrease in diameter at the time of detachment is considered to be due to the fact that the flaky ice F floats after being slightly melted and that the heat is slightly absorbed from the aqueous solution during the ascent.

  From the above results, it can be seen that the diameter of the flaky ice F grows linearly with time. In this case, it can be seen that the lower the temperature of the magnetic fluid layer 33, the faster the growth rate of the flake ice F. In addition, the larger the generated flaky ice F, the longer it takes to peel. As described above, the size of the flaky ice F and the time required for detachment are proportional to the temperature and the cooling time of the magnetic fluid layer 33. Therefore, the necessary flaky ice F can be continuously generated and supplied. It becomes possible. That is, when the size of the flaky ice F to be supplied is determined, the temperature and cooling time of the magnetic fluid layer 33 are determined in accordance with the size of the flake ice. For example, the desired flaky ice F can be continuously and continuously supplied.

  The apparatus for producing flaky ice according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be changed as appropriate.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the timing control of the generation and separation of the flaky ice F is performed by the energization control to the electromagnet 51. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the magnet is mechanically attached to the magnetic fluid layer 33. It is also possible to repeat the approach and separation. For example, a magnet may be fixed to the tip of a rack that meshes with a pinion capable of forward / reverse rotation control, and the magnet is reciprocated relative to the magnetic fluidized bed 33 by rotating the pinion.

It is a figure which shows 1st Embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the flaky ice which concerns on this invention. In the apparatus for producing flaky ice of the first embodiment, (a) when flaky ice is produced, (b) when flaky ice grows to a desired size, and (c) flake ice is peeled off. It is a figure which shows the state in the case. It is a figure which shows 2nd Embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the flaky ice which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows 3rd Embodiment of the manufacturing apparatus of the flaky ice which concerns on this invention. In the flaky ice manufacturing apparatus of 3rd Embodiment, (a) When producing | generating flaky ice (b) It is a figure which shows the state in the case of peeling flake-like ice. In a present Example, it is a graph which shows the relationship of the diameter of flake shaped ice with respect to elapsed time when the cooling temperature of a magnetic fluid layer is changed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A, 1B, 1C Flake-like ice manufacturing apparatus 2 Reservoir 3 Cooling part 4 Cooling means 5 Magnetic force control means 21 Bottom wall part 22 Side wall part 31 Ice generation surface 32 Air gap (air layer)
33 Magnetic fluid layer 34 Bottom plate (side plate)
41 cooling brine 42 brine inlet 43 cooler 44 circulation pump 45 circulation pipe 46 thermoelectric cooling element 47 thermoelectric element power supply 51 electromagnet 52 electromagnet power supply F flaky ice

Claims (6)

A storage tank for storing a predetermined aqueous solution;
A cooling unit having an ice generation surface for generating flaky ice in contact with the aqueous solution on the inner wall of the storage tank, and a magnetic fluid layer with a gap on the back side of the ice generation surface;
Cooling means for cooling the magnetic fluid layer;
Magnetic force control means for bringing the magnetic fluid layer into contact with the back side of the ice generation surface by applying or stopping the magnetic force to the magnetic fluid layer cooled by the cooling means. apparatus.   2. The apparatus for producing flaky ice according to claim 1, wherein the ice generating surface is a smooth surface having a large thermal conductivity.   2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic fluid layer is generated on the ice generation surface by switching between the contact state and the separation state of the magnetic fluid layer with respect to the back surface of the ice generation surface by switching control between application and stop of the magnetic force by the magnetic force control means. An apparatus for producing flaky ice, which selectively performs generation and separation of flaky ice.   In Claim 1, the said cooling part is provided in the bottom wall part of the said storage tank, the said magnetic fluid layer is arrange | positioned under the said ice production | generation surface, and the repulsive force by a magnetic force by the said magnetic force control means is provided from the downward direction of this magnetic fluid layer. By applying, the magnetic fluid layer is raised and brought into contact with the back side of the ice generation surface to generate flaky ice on the ice generation surface, and the magnetic fluid layer is formed by stopping the application of the magnetic force. An apparatus for producing flake-shaped ice, wherein the flake-shaped ice is separated from the back surface of the ice-generating surface and separated from the ice-generating surface.   2. The magnetic fluid layer according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit is provided on a side wall of the storage tank, the magnetic fluid layer is disposed outside the ice generation surface, and application of magnetic force by the magnetic force control unit is stopped. Is brought into contact with the back surface of the ice generation surface to generate flaky ice on the ice generation surface, and the magnetic fluid layer is applied to the ice generation surface by applying an attractive force from the side by the magnetic force control means. An apparatus for producing flake-shaped ice, wherein the flake-shaped ice is separated from the ice-generating surface at a distance from the back surface of the ice.   2. The flake according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic force control means continuously generates flaky ice on the ice generating surface by repeatedly applying and stopping the magnetic force to the magnetic fluid layer with a predetermined period. Ice-making equipment.

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