Methods, systems, and device for solidification and/or solid production, such as ice production, are provided. For example, a method of solid production includes contacting a first fluid with a second fluid to facilitate solidifying the second fluid; the first fluid and the second fluid are immiscible with respect to each other. The method includes solidifying the second fluid. A solid production system includes a first fluid and a second fluid; the first fluid and the second fluid are immiscible with respect to each other. The system includes one or more surfaces configured to contact the first fluid and the second fluid with each other and to form one or more solids from the second fluid.

An icemaking system includes a circulation circuit configured to circulate icemaking solution, at least one icemaker provided in the circulation circuit, a cooling mechanism, a first detector and an adjuster. The icemaker includes a cooling chamber and a scraping mechanism. The cooling chamber has an inflow port and an exhaust port of solution, and the cooling chamber allows the solution to flow in the cooling chamber. The scraping mechanism scrapes ice generated on an inner surface of the cooling chamber. The cooling mechanism cools the solution in the cooling chamber. The first detector detects whether the inflow port of the cooling chamber has an ice nucleus. The adjuster adjusts a cooling temperature of the solution in accordance with a detection result of the first detector.

An ice-generating system (311), method and apparatus for preparing an ice-containing tea or coffee beverage, comprising a product conduit (330) formed as a loop for circulating there through a beverage liquor, a product pump (390) for pumping the beverage liquor around the loop of the product conduit and a cooling conduit (331) for flowing there through a coolant. The cooling conduit is arranged in proximity with the product conduit to permit heat exchange between the coolant in the cooling conduit and the beverage liquor in the product conduit to cool the beverage liquor to thereby form a plurality of ice crystals within the beverage liquor. The product conduit comprises an outlet (393) for discharging the beverage liquor containing the plurality of ice crystals from the product conduit towards a beverage dispensing outlet (303) and two or more beverage liquor inlets (394, 395) for inputting beverage liquor into the product conduit.

Thermo-chemical recuperation systems, devices, and methods are provided in accordance with various embodiments. Embodiments may generally relate to the field of refrigeration and/or heat pumping. Within that field, some embodiments apply to the recuperation or recapturing of both thermal and chemical potential in a freeze point suppression cycle. Some embodiments include a method and/or system of thermo-chemical recuperation that includes creating a flow of ice and flowing a brine against the flow of the ice. Some embodiments manage the thermal and chemical potentials by mixing a dilute brine stream exiting an ice mixing vessel with an ice stream before it enters the ice mixing vessel. By controlling this mixing in a counter-flow or step-wise cross flow manner with sufficient steps, both the thermal and chemical potential of the dilute bine stream may be recuperated.

A method efficiently changes the state of an object at low cost and in a short time, in which a state change control device changes the state of an object by bringing the object into contact with an ice slurry to cause a temperature change to the object. The device includes an ice slurry contact part that brings the object and the ice slurry into contact with each other at a predetermined relative speed and changes the temperature of the object, and an ice slurry supply part that supplies the ice slurry to the ice slurry contact part.

An apparatus for generating and storing in a tank 22 a flowable slush 2 of frozen particles usable inter alia in Ice Pigging™ includes a control system 100 which is arranged to monitor an operating parameter OP of an agitator 23 in the storage tank. The control system initiates a slush comminution and separation or dewatering cycle when a control parameter CP based on the operating parameter OP reaches a threshold value CPt. The control parameter may represent a cumulative energy input to the storage tank 22. Comminution may be performed prior to separation, with the treatment cycle being terminated when a sensed rheometric parameter RP of the slush circulating in the treatment flowpath reaches a target value RPt.

A heat exchange system including an icephobic heat exchanger (IHEX) tank, a phase change material (PCM) held in the IHEX tank, an immiscible liquid layer held in the IHEX tank, a heat exchanger located within the immiscible liquid layer, and a distributor located above the heat exchanger configured to introduce a plurality of liquid PCM droplets into the immiscible liquid layer. The system further includes a transfer mechanism configured to remove PCM from the IHEX tank, and an external storage tank configured to receive the removed PCM. The immiscible liquid layer has a density lower than a density of both the solid and liquid PCM, and the PCM and the immiscible liquid layer meeting at a PCM-immiscible liquid interface.

An ice making system includes: a refrigerant circuit that performs a vapor compression refrigeration cycle and that includes a compressor, a condenser that condenses refrigerant discharged from the compressor, a first expansion valve with an adjustable opening degree that decompresses the refrigerant from the condenser, a flooded evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant decompressed by the first expansion valve, and a superheater that imparts a degree of superheating to the refrigerant discharged from the flooded evaporator; a circulation circuit that circulates a medium that is cooled by the flooded evaporator; and a control device that controls the adjustable opening degree of the first expansion valve such that the superheater imparts to the refrigerant discharged from the flooded evaporator a degree of superheating at which dryness of the refrigerant is kept within a predetermined range of less than 1.

A storage tank comprises: a body having opposite open ends; end plates removably connected to the opposite open ends of the body, one of the end plates comprising an inlet and an outlet; and a piston floatably mounted within the body. The piston is movable towards the end plate having the inlet and the outlet during discharge of ice-slurry contained within the storage tank via the outlet.

The present disclosure provides systems and method for medical ice slurry production. In particular, systems and methods are provided for medical ice slurry production that enable an end user to produce and deliver a sterile medical ice slurry at the point of care.