An ice maker for forming ice having a refrigeration system, a water system, and a control system. The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an ice formation device, and a condenser fan comprising a fan blade and a condenser fan motor for driving the fan blade. The water system supplies water to the ice formation device. The control system includes a controller adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a first speed in a forward direction when the ice maker is making ice and adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a second speed in a reverse direction when the ice maker is not making ice. Operating the condenser fan motor at the second speed in the reverse direction is sufficient to reduce the amount of dirt, lint, grease, dust, and/or other contaminants on or in the condenser.

An ice maker for forming ice having a refrigeration system, a water system, and a control system. The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an ice formation device, and a condenser fan comprising a fan blade and a condenser fan motor for driving the fan blade. The water system supplies water to the ice formation device. The control system includes a controller adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a first speed in a forward direction when the ice maker is making ice and adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a second speed in a reverse direction when the ice maker is not making ice. Operating the condenser fan motor at the second speed in the reverse direction is sufficient to reduce the amount of dirt, lint, grease, dust, and/or other contaminants on or in the condenser.

A refrigeration appliance includes a fresh food compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment having a target temperature above 0° C., a freezer compartment for storing food items in a sub-freezing environment having a target temperature below 0° C., a system evaporator for providing a cooling effect to at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment, and an ice maker disposed within the fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice pieces. The ice maker includes an ice mold with an upper surface comprising a plurality of cavities formed therein for the ice pieces, a heater disposed on the ice mold and an ice maker refrigerant tube abutting at least one lateral side surface of the ice mold and cooling the ice mold to a temperature below 0° C. via thermal conduction.

A refrigeration appliance includes a fresh food compartment for storing food items in a refrigerated environment having a target temperature above 0° C., a freezer compartment for storing food items in a sub-freezing environment having a target temperature below 0° C., a system evaporator for providing a cooling effect to at least one of the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment, and an ice maker disposed within the fresh food compartment for freezing water into ice pieces. The ice maker includes an ice mold with an upper surface comprising a plurality of cavities formed therein for the ice pieces, a heater disposed on the ice mold and an ice maker refrigerant tube abutting at least one lateral side surface of the ice mold and cooling the ice mold to a temperature below 0° C. via thermal conduction.

A cross-connected refrigeration system includes a first refrigeration subsystem and a second refrigeration subsystem that are fluidly coupled by a header, each of the first refrigeration subsystem and the second refrigeration subsystem including a refrigeration loop including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator, and a heating loop including an electrically-controlled valve, and the evaporator, and a header connection that connects the refrigeration loops and the heating loops of the first refrigeration subsystem and the second refrigeration subsystem to a common header, respectively. The compressor in the first refrigeration subsystem is selectively deactivated and the electrically-controlled valve in the first refrigeration subsystem is selectively opened such that compressed gas from the compressor in the second refrigeration subsystem enters the heating loop of the first refrigeration subsystem and heats the evaporator of the first refrigeration subsystem.

An ice making system includes: a tank that stores a medium to be cooled; an ice making machine that cools the medium and makes ice; a pump that circulates the medium between the tank and the ice making machine; a de-icing mechanism that performs a de-icing operation of heating and melting the medium in the ice making machine; and a control device that controls operations of the ice making machine, the pump, and the de-icing mechanism. The ice making machine includes: a cooling chamber in which the medium is cooled; a blade mechanism that rotates in the cooling chamber and disperses the ice; a detector that detects a locked state of the blade mechanism; and a first temperature sensor that is disposed at a discharge port of the cooling chamber and detects a temperature of the medium discharged from the cooling chamber.

An ice maker for forming ice having a refrigeration system, a water system, and a control system. The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an ice formation device, and a condenser fan comprising a fan blade and a condenser fan motor for driving the fan blade. The water system supplies water to the ice formation device. The control system includes a controller adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a first speed in a forward direction when the ice maker is making ice and adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a second speed in a reverse direction when the ice maker is not making ice. Operating the condenser fan motor at the second speed in the reverse direction is sufficient to reduce the amount of dirt, lint, grease, dust, and/or other contaminants on or in the condenser.

An ice maker for forming ice having a refrigeration system, a water system, and a control system. The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an ice formation device, and a condenser fan comprising a fan blade and a condenser fan motor for driving the fan blade. The water system supplies water to the ice formation device. The control system includes a controller adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a first speed in a forward direction when the ice maker is making ice and adapted to operate the condenser fan motor at a second speed in a reverse direction when the ice maker is not making ice. Operating the condenser fan motor at the second speed in the reverse direction is sufficient to reduce the amount of dirt, lint, grease, dust, and/or other contaminants on or in the condenser.

An ice making system includes: a tank that stores a medium to be cooled; an ice making machine that cools the medium and makes ice; a pump that circulates the medium between the tank and the ice making machine; a de-icing mechanism that performs a de-icing operation of heating and melting the medium in the ice making machine; and a control device that controls operations of the ice making machine, the pump, and the de-icing mechanism. The ice making machine includes: a cooling chamber in which the medium is cooled; a blade mechanism that rotates in the cooling chamber and disperses the ice; a detector that detects a locked state of the blade mechanism; and a first temperature sensor that is disposed at a discharge port of the cooling chamber and detects a temperature of the medium discharged from the cooling chamber.

An ice machine for an ice-based thermal storage system comprises a plurality of pillow plates arranged in a plate bank, wherein each of the plurality of pillow plates includes an inlet connection and an outlet connection, with the respective inlet connections connected to a feed header, and with the respective outlet connections connected to a suction header. A water distribution pan is positioned at a top of the plate bank, and a tank is positioned below the plate bank. As an evaporator, the ice machine causes ice to form on the pillow plates, which then falls into the tank. As a condenser, the ice machine transfers heat to water flowing over the pillow plates, such that water at an increased temperature falls into the tank and melts the ice in the tank.