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.
