The present disclosure discloses a heat-source-tower heat pump system combined with an ice maker. The system includes a heat source tower and a heat pump unit. The system further includes an ice maker. The liquid outlet of the heat source tower is connected to the liquid inlet of the ice maker through a pipeline. The concentrated liquid outlet of the ice maker is connected to the liquid return port of the heat source tower. The cold outlet of the heat pump unit is connected to the cold inlet of the ice maker through a pipeline. The hot return port of the ice maker is connected to the hot inlet of the heat pump unit through a pipeline. The cold inlet and the hot outlet of the heat pump unit are respectively connected to corresponding outlet and inlet of an end of a user.

A refrigerator includes an ice tray, a motor, an ejector including a rotary shaft and a protrusion pin, and a heater for selectively supplying heat to the ice tray. A control method of the refrigerator includes a first step of sensing whether the ejector is rotated to reach a first setup position; a second step of driving the heater and stopping driving of an ice making compartment fan if the first step is satisfied; a third step of determining whether the ejector is rotated to reach a second setup position; and a fourth step of stopping driving of the heater if the third step is satisfied, and wherein the ejector continues to be rotated while the second to fourth steps are implemented.

This ice making machine includes an ice making unit that includes an ice making surface and a cryogen flow channel through which a cryogen for cooling the ice making surface flows; a pump that pressurizes and discharges the cryogen cooled by a heat exchanger; and a control unit that controls a discharge amount of the pump. The cryogen is carbon dioxide, and the control unit controls the pump such that the cryogen is in a gas-liquid mixed state at an outlet of the cryogen flow channel.

Systems and methods are provided herein for producing and vending ice in an energy-efficient manner. A system for producing and vending ice comprises: an ice-making device configured to manufacture ice; a reservoir coupled to the ice-making device and configured to store the manufactured ice manufactured; and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the ice-making device, the control circuit configured to: determine a beginning ice inventory at a first time; determine a predicted ice demand for a first period, wherein the predicted ice demand is a function of at least a historical factor, a weather factor, a customer social event factor, and a public social event factor; determine an ice manufacturing quantity based on the beginning ice inventory, the predicted ice demand, and a manufacturing capacity of the ice-making device; and cause the ice-making device to produce an amount of ice consistent with the determined ice manufacturing quantity.

A harvester high efficiency heat utilization device to be used in a harvester, includes: a drying chamber that dries grains of crops; a pipe that communicates with the drying chamber; a first heat exchanger provided in the pipe so as to communicate with an exhaust gas discharge port of an engine of the harvester; a combustion chamber that burns foliage of the crops; a second heat exchanger provided in the pipe so as to communicate with a high temperature gas discharge port of the combustion chamber; and a first blower that guides gas heat-exchanged by the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to the drying chamber through the pipe.

Systems and methods are provided herein for producing and vending ice in an energy-efficient manner. A system for producing and vending ice comprises: an ice-making device configured to manufacture ice; a reservoir coupled to the ice-making device and configured to store the manufactured ice manufactured; and a control circuit communicatively coupled to the ice-making device, the control circuit configured to: determine a beginning ice inventory at a first time; determine a predicted ice demand for a first period, wherein the predicted ice demand is a function of at least a historical factor, a weather factor, a customer social event factor, and a public social event factor; determine an ice manufacturing quantity based on the beginning ice inventory, the predicted ice demand, and a manufacturing capacity of the ice-making device; and cause the ice-making device to produce an amount of ice consistent with the determined ice manufacturing quantity.

A method for the heat recovery from a tunnel cooling apparatus, having one or several cooling cells for cooling products in containers by means of a cooling agent circulating in a coolant circuit, and a heat exchanger; including: controlling the circulating quantity of the coolant, and controlling the temperature of the coolant, wherein both the circulating quantity and the temperature of the coolant are measured and controlled on the basis of comparisons with predefined parameters, so that the thermal yield of the heat exchanger is optimized.

An ice maker includes a harvest motor and an ice tray operably coupled to the harvest motor. The ice tray has a plurality of heat sinks coupled to a bottom section of ice forming cavities on the ice tray. The harvest motor is operable to twist the ice tray for causing the plurality of heat sinks to move relative to each other for releasing ice pieces from the ice forming cavities.

An ice piece making assembly and a refrigeration appliance containing the ice piece making assembly is disclosed. The ice making assembly produces ice pieces by directional freezing and includes: an ice piece forming tray having a motor engaging end, a distal end, a first side, a second side and a bottom surface, a plurality of ice piece making compartments divided by divider walls, and a plurality of heat sinks engaged to the bottom surface of the ice making compartments and deliver defrost water to a drain or defrost water catch tray positioned at at least one of the distal end and the motor engaging end; and an ice piece forming tray canopy spaced a distance above the ice piece forming tray wherein the ice piece forming tray canopy comprises a heater and a temperature sensor.

A grain dryer having a mixed-flow heating section, a tempering transition section, and a vacuum-cooled crossflow cooling section. A fan positioned on the end of the dryer creates a negative pressure in the cooling plenum that pulls air through the grain, warming the air while cooling the grain. This warmed air is pulled through the fan and then passed through a heater to bring it to appropriate drying temperature. This air is then pushed into a heating plenum, where it passes through a mixed-flow grain column, drying the grain, and then exhausted to ambient air.