IES70737B2 - An ice bank cooler system - Google Patents

Abstract

An ice bank cooler system has a chilled water tank. An evaporator coil (4) is mounted on the inner side wall of the tank spaced inwardly from the inner sidewall. The evaporator coil (4) is operable to form an ice bank within the tank spaced inwardly of the sidewalls. An agitator paddle (25) circulates water in the tank downwardly along an inner face of the ice bank and then upwardly along an outer face of the ice bank between the ice bank and the inner sidewall of the tank. Product cooling coils (5) extend into the tank for circulating a product such as beer through chilled water in the tank. A cooling water circulating pump (37) is operable to circulate cooling water from the tank through a cooling water pipe mounted in a python (41) with product delivery coils, the python (41) delivering the product from the tank to a dispenser. A temperature sensor at the dispenser senses the water temperature for controlling agitation and circulation of water in the system to achieve a desired product discharge temperature.

Description

This invention relates to an ice bank cooler system.

The invention is particularly concerned with the chilling of beers and the like beverages in public houses, hotels, restaurants and the like. Ice banks have been widely used for some time in the chilling of such beverages. One typical type of ice bank has a tank within which an evaporator coil of a refrigeration system forms an ice bank on the inside faces of the tank sidewalls with a chilled water bath within the ice bank. The beverage to be chilled is passed through product coils which are submerged in the chilled water bath to cool the beverage prior to delivery to a dispensing tap or the like. Typically, demand for any particular product varies considerably at different times during the day. Problems can arise in maintaining the product at a desired dispensing temperature over the wide range of demand typically encountered and the product temperature may rise when demand is high.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming these problems.

According to the invention, there is provided an ice bank cooler system, comprising :a thermally insulated chilled water tank having a base with upstanding sidewalls extending around the base and a cover seated on the sidewalls; * 25 -2 an evaporator coil mounted in the tank, the evaporator coil having an inlet and an outlet for connection to a refrigeration system; evaporator mounting means for supporting the evaporator coil in the tank extending around the sidewalls of the tank and spaced inwardly of the sidewalls a preset distance; means for controlling the refrigeration apparatus for regulating the thickness of ice deposited on the evaporator coil for forming an ice bank of a desired thickness on the evaporator coil spaced inwardly of the sidewalls; an agitator paddle mounted within the tank and connected to associated drive means, the agitator paddle being operable to circulate cooling water in the tank along an inner face of the ice bank and then along an outer face of the ice bank; and a number of separate product cooling coils extending into the tank within the evaporator coil, each product cooling coil having an inlet for connection to a product supply source and an outlet for connection to a product dispenser, each product cooling coil being formed by a pipe wound back and forth in a planar configuration, and means for retaining the product cooling coils spaced inwardly of the evaporator coil by a preset r desirable distance.

Advantageously by allowing the chilled water within the tank to circulate along inner and outer faces of the ice bank, a greater heat transfer area is achieved than if the ice bank were simply built up on the sidewalls. Thus more rapid heat transfer can be achieved for a given size of ice bank. The agitator ensures good circulation of cooling water within the tank to ensure an even cooling water temperature throughout the tank. Further, the flat winding of the product coils ensures good heat transfer to the product with better circulation of cooling water around the coil than if, for example, a helical coil was used. Also, the flat configuration facilitates the packing of the coils within the tank. It will be noted also that the coils are retained spaced-apart from the evaporator coils so that the product coils do not engage the ice bank when formed on the evaporator coil. This again ensures good circulation of cooling water about the ice bank.

In one embodiment of the invention, the tank has a cooling water discharge manifold and a cooling water return manifold, said manifolds for connection to each end of a cooling water pipe for cooling product delivery lines extending between the product cooling coil outlets and their associated product dispensers,, and a cooling water circulating pump having an inlet connected to the tank and an outlet communicating with the water discharge manifold. Thus advantageously chilled product is maintained at the desired temperature as it is delivered between the ice bank cooler and the product dispenser. Conveniently, the ice bank cooler can be mounted in any desired location within a premises even a relatively long distance away from the product dispensers.

In another embodiment, the water return manifold extends into the tank terminating in a distributor for directing incoming cooling water towards the ice bank. Thus advantageously the incoming cooling water which will be warmer than the cooling water within the tank is immediately directed against the ice bank for chilling as > it enters the tank. This minimises temperature fluctuations in the tank assisting in maintaining the cooling water within the tank at the desired cooling temperature.

In another embodiment, a temperature sensor is provided for mounting at a product dispenser, said sensor being connected to a controller for regulating agitation and circulation of water in the system in response to the sensed water temperature at the product dispenser.

In a further embodiment, an ice sensor is mounted on the •evaporator coils for sensing when the ice bank reaches a desired thickness, the ice sensor being connected to a controller for regulating operation of the refrigeration system in response to the sensed ice thickness. Thus, an ice bank of a desired thickness is formed and maintained within the tank for optimum heat transfer between the ice bank and the cooling water within the tank.

In another embodiment, a water temperature sensor is mounted within the tank and is connected to a controller which is operable for regulating operation of the refrigeration system in response to sensed water temperature in the tank.

In another embodiment, a water temperature sensor is mounted in the tank and connected to a controller for regulating operation of the water circulating pump in response to sensed water temperature within the water tank. Thus, conveniently in the event of failure of the refrigeration system as the water temperature rises to a * preset value the water circulating pump will be cut off to minimise the rate of water temperature rise within the tank.

In a preferred embodiment, the evaporator mounting means comprises a number of spacers mounted on the evaporator coil and extending outwardly from the coil to engage the sidewalls. Conveniently, each spacer is V-shaped in section having a number of vertically spaced-apart coil receiving slots along an apex of the spacer, with a coil retaining pin engaging within the apex passing across a mouth of each slot to retain the coil within the slots. This construction of spacer is particularly convenient from a manufacturing point of view as it is readily easily and quickly mounted on the evaporator coil. Further, the spacers keep windings of the coil spaced-apart a desired amount for evenly forming an ice bank within the tank.

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ice bank cooler according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cooler with a cover of the cooler removed; Fig. 3 is a schematic sectional elevational view of the cooler; Fig. 4 is a schematic end sectional elevational view of the cooler; Fig. 5 is a detail partially cut-away perspective view showing portion of the cooler; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view illustrating an evaporator coil mounting arrangement for the cooler; and Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of another ice bank cooler system.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated an ice bank cooler system according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The cooler 1 has a thermally insulated chilled water tank 2 mounted on a support frame 3. An evaporator coil 4 is mounted within the tank 2 for forming an ice bank within the tank 2. A number of product coils 5 are mounted within the tank 2, each coil 5 for cooling a.product, such as beer, which is passed through the coil 5 which is submerged within a chilled water bath within the tank 2 to cool the beer to a desired temperature prior to delivery to a product dispenser.

The tank 2 has a rectangular base 10 with upstanding side walls 11 on the base and a cover 12 sitting on the side walls. The base 10 and side walls 11 contain insulating foam material.

It will be noted that the evaporator coil 4 extends around the side walls 11 and is spaced-apart inwardly from the side walls 11 by spacers 15 which support the evaporator coil spaced-apart inwardly a preset desirable distance from the sidewalls 11. Each of the spacers 15 is V-shaped in section being formed by a bent plate 16, free edges 17 of which engage against an inner face 18 of the side walls 11. A row of vertically spaced-apart slots 19 are formed at an apex at the inner end of each spacer 15 for reception of the coil 4. Locking pins 20 retain the coil 4 within the slots 19.

A sensor 22 is mounted on the coil 4 and connected to a controller 23. The sensor 22 is set in conjunction with the controller 23 which regulates the operation of a refrigeration system (not shown) for operation of the evaporator 4 to form an ice-bank of a desired thickness on the evaporator coil 4. It will be noted that the ice bank is formed such that a gap is left between an outer face of the ice bank and the inside face 18 of the sidewalls 11 for circulation of cooling water between the ice bank and the sidewalls 11 of the tank 2. In some cases two or more evaporator coil may be provided.

An agitator paddle 25 is carried on a drive shaft 26 driven by a motor 27 mounted on the cover 12. The paddle 25 is mounted within the tank 2 for circulating water contained within the tank 2 downwardly over an inside face of the ice bank and upwardly between the ice bank and the inside face 18 of the sidewalls 11. In some cases two or more paddles may be provided.

As can be seen in Figs. 3 and 4, a plurality of product coils 5 are mounted within the tank 2. It will be noted from Fig. 4 that each product coil 5 is formed by a pipe wound back and forth in a planar configuration. This arrangement of product coil 5 ensures good circulation of cooling water from the tank 2 around each coil 5 for optimum heat transfer and cooling. A number of coils 5 are arranged in three banks of coils within the tank 2. Various numbers of coils and banks of coils may be provided depending on the particular application for which the system is to be used.

Mounted on the base 10 of the tank 2 is a guide frame 34 for supporting the banks of product cooling coils 5 spaced-apart from the ice bank and from the agitator paddle 25. The evaporator coil spacers 15 are attached at their lower ends to the guide frame 34.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, a cooling water circulation pump 37 is mounted on the frame 3 beneath the tank 2 having an inlet pipe 38 in the base 10 and an outlet pipe 39 which passes up through the tank 2 to a cooling water discharge manifold 40 for delivery of cooling water through a python 41 through which product delivery lines pass for delivery of a product such as beer from an outlet of a product coil 5 to a dispensing tap (not shown). The python 41 comprises a bundle of product delivery pipes and cooling water supply and return pipes held together within a thermally insulating sheath or cover. A water return line 42 connects to a water return manifold 43 mounted on the cover 12 and extending into the tank 2 having a plurality of outlet holes 44 to direct the cooling water outwardly against the ice bank to promote rapid cooling of the relatively warm cooling water returned from the dispensing tap.

A temperature sensor 46 (Fig. 3) is mounted at the dispensing tap to sense the temperature of the cooling water, the sensor 46 being connected to the controller 23 for controlling agitation and circulation of water in the system and hence the temperature of the cooling water 2.5 within the tank 2 in response to the sensed water temperature to achieve a desired product dispensing temperature.

A pair of water temperature probes 50,51 are mounted within the water bath in the tank 2 for sensing the temperature of the water bath. Each sensor 50,51 is connected to the controller 23. A first sensor 50 is operable if desired to control the operation of the refrigeration system in response to the sensed water temperature and/or to control agitation and circulation of water in the system. The second sensor 51 is operable to cut out the water circulating pump 37 and agitator paddle in the event that the temperature of the water within the bath 2 rises to a preset maximum temperature such as 7°C for example. This prevents running of the pump 37 and agitator in the event of failure of the refrigeration system to minimise the rate at which the water temperature rises. Each of the sensors 50,51 is mounted within an associated sheath 52,53 (Fig. 2) attached to an exterior of the discharge pipe 39 of the pump 37.

In use, the tank 2 is filled with water and the refrigeration system is operated to form an ice bank on the evaporator coil 4 in the tank 2 spaced-apart inwardly from the sidewalls 11 of the tank 2. The agitator 25 is operated to circulate water within the tank 2 downwardly over an inner surface of the ice bank, underneath the ice bank and up over an outer surface of the ice bank for maintaining an even water temperature within the tank 2.

Products such as beer are circulated through the product coils 5 for cooling the products to a desired temperature, the products then being delivered through the python 41 to dispensing taps (not shown). To keep the product chilled during delivery from the tank 2 to the dispensing tap, water from the tank 2 is delivered through the python 41 by means of the pump 37, being circulated through the python 41 and back to the cooling water return manifold 43 for injection into the tank 2 against the ice bank.

It will be noted that the formation of the ice bank spaced-apart inwardly from the sidewalls and the circulation of the cooling water by the agitator within the tank ensures good heat transfer between the ice bank and the cooling water and an even cooling water temperature throughout the tank. Further, the arrangement of the product cooling coils is such as to promote rapid and effective heat transfer from the product to the cooling water for cooling the product to a desired temperature. The product when discharged from the tank is maintained at the desired temperature by the circulation of the cooling water in the python. The configuration of the product cooling coils also assists in the optimum use of the space within the tank. It will be noted that the product cooling coils are maintained separated from the evaporator coil and the agitator by means of the guide frame 34 to allow good circulation of cooling water all around the product coils 5.

Referring now to Fig. 7 there is illustrated another ice bank cooler system indicated generally by the reference numeral 60. This is generally similar to the ice bank cooler system described previously and like parts are assigned to the same reference numerals. In this case the water return manifold 43 extends downwardly to the guide frame 34 which effectively forms a distributor for the returning cooling water. A number of spaced-apart outlet holes 62 are arranged around the tubular guide frame 34 for discharging the cooling water outwardly bringing it in direct contact with the outer wall of the ice bank for improved chilling efficiency.

It will be appreciated that in some cases a twin evaporator may be provided in the tank and twin water circulating bumps may be provided, one of the pumps being run while the other acts as a standby.

Further, various arrangements of numbers of product coils and banks of products coils may be provided with the guide frame being adapted accordingly to keep the product coils spaced-apart from the ice bank during use.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described, which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims (5)

1. An ice bank cooler system comprising : a thermally insulated chilled water tank having a base with upstanding sidewalls extending around the base and a cover seated on the sidewalls; an evaporator coil mounted in the tank, the evaporator coil having an inlet and an outlet for connection to a refrigeration system; evaporator mounting means for supporting the evaporator coil in the tank extending around the sidewalls of the tank and spaced inwardly of the sidewalls a preset distance; means for controlling the refrigeration apparatus for regulating the thickness of ice deposited on the evaporator coil for forming an ice bank of a desired thickness on the evaporator coil spaced inwardly of the sidewalls; an agitator paddle mounted within the tank and connected to associated drive means, the agitator paddle being operable to circulate cooling water in the tank along an inner face of the ice bank and then along an outer face of the ice bank; a number of separate product cooling coils extending into the tank within the evaporator coil, each product cooling coil having an inlet for connection to a product supply source and an outlet for connection to a product dispenser, each product cooling coil being formed by a pipe wound back and forth in a planar configuration; and means for retaining the product cooling 5 coils spaced inwardly of the evaporator coil by a preset desirable distance.

2. A cooler system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tank has a cooling water discharge manifold and a cooling water return manifold, said manifolds for 10 connection to each end of a cooling water pipe for cooling product delivery lines extending between the product cooling coil outlets and their associated product dispensers, and a cooling water circulating pump having an inlet connected to the tank and an 15 outlet communicating with the water discharge manifold, and preferably the water return manifold extends into the tank, terminating in a distributor for directing incoming cooling water towards the ice bank.

3. A cooler system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a temperature sensor is provided for mounting at a product dispenser, said sensor being connected to a controller for regulating agitation and circulation of water in the system in response to the sensed water temperature at the product dispenser, and preferably an ice sensor is mounted on the evaporator coil for sensing when the ice bank reaches a desired thickness, the ice sensor being connected to a controller for regulating operation of the refrigeration system in response to the sensed ice thickness.

4. A cooler system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the evaporator mounting means comprises a number of spacers mounted on the evaporator coil and extending outwardly from the coil to engage the 5 sidewalls, and preferably each spacer is V-shaped in section having a number of spaced-apart coil receiving slots along an apex of the spacer, with a coil retaining pin engaging within the apex passing across a mouth of each slot to retain the coil within 10 the slots.

5. An ice bank cooler system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.