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Modeling of ice harvest and dispensing processes of domestic icemaker systems using DEM.

Number: 2225

Author(s) : WOHLERS E., ALMEIDA L. C. de, DAROZ V.

Summary

Ice damage, poor ice sensing and displaced ice are common issues in the design of various types of ice dispensing systems found in domestic household refrigeration units. These issues are often not seen until the design has already been prototyped, which can lead to multiple design iterations, field issues and customer dissatisfaction. This study will address the feasibility of using discrete element modeling (DEM) techniques to simulate the harvest and dispensing processes of two types of domestic ice dispensing systems in order to optimize component design and system function. Custom polyhedral particles were used to model the actual crescent shape of the ice, increasing the accuracy of the model by properly capturing the ice-ice and ice-dispenser interactions. The complete collision statistics data set can provide useful information such as the stress distribution over the particle and boundary surfaces, allowing for ice damage prediction as well as impact intensities on the container that the ice is dispensed into. Additionally, the solution of the ice dispenser mechanism using a free body dynamics motion kernel can account for the ice build-up inside the bucket under the ice maker control arm and is capable of predicting whether the selected design is efficient in preventing ice particles from falling off the back of the bucket during customer usage. The developed models can be used as a design tool, giving directions on how to improve the existing models and reducing the number and cost of prototype cycles.

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Pages: 10 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Modeling of ice harvest and dispensing processes of domestic icemaker systems using DEM.
  • Record ID : 30030613
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: 2022 Purdue Conferences. 19th International Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2022

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