Saint Louis University

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

LABORATORY MANUAL

Experiment No: 10
Title: TEST ON A MINI-ICE PLANT RIG

At the end of this experiment, the student should be able to:

TLO 10 : Evaluate the performance and analyze the coefficient of performance of
an ice plant.

I. INTRODUCTION:
Ice refrigeration is economical for some applications. The use of natural ice is fast disappearing.
Manufactured ice is made by several methods. In the can system, galvanized cans containing up
to 400 lb (180 kg) of water are immersed in brine for 25 to 40 h for freezing. Air dissolved in the
water separates as bubbles causing opacity unless the water is agitated during the early stages
of cooling, and any dissolved impurities come out of solution to form a central off-color core in
the ice block unless the core is removed and replaced with fresh water just before freezing. The
time and investment required for making ice in cans are often uneconomical.1

In most, plants brine is chilled to about 12F by ammonia evaporating at 3 to 7F. Raw water
cannot freeze without cracking at temperatures below 10F, whereas the limit for distilled water
is 6F. An 11 x 22-in. can freezing 320 lb with 12F brine will freeze 280-lb in 24 hours but will
take 14 hours to freeze the remaining 40 lb. The refrigeration equipment required to produce 1
ton of ice per 24 hours will depend upon the filling-water temperature, brine temperature,
construction details, and other factors. Normally, for 70F entering water and 12F brine
practically 1.6 tons of refrigeration is required per ton of ice made.2

There are two basic types of producing artificial ice3:

The Can System. In the can system of making ice, standard size ice cans are immersed in a
brine solution which flows around the cans and causes the water to freeze. Under the older
system it was necessary to use distilled water as the material supplied to the cans in order to
produce a clear cake of ice. Distilled water was easy to obtain with the steam engine driven
systems formerly so extensively used, as the exhaust steam could be used in the process.
Exhaust steam from the main engine and auxiliaries is purified by reboiling and filtering and
then is frozen in galvanized sheet steel cans. In the brine tank, the brine is agitated by a
propeller wheel and cooled by direct expansion piping in the tank. The product is known as
distilled-water ice. The ice grows from all sides of the can, and any mechanically suspended
impurities in the water will appear in the ice at the center of the block. It is, therefore, essential
that water free from impurities be used. A standard-size block is 11 by 22 by 44 in. and weighs
approximately 300 lb.

Plate System. A tank approximately 10 ft deep by 12 ft wide, divided by ½-in. plates, bolted
to direct expansion piping, into compartments 30 in. wide is used. The plates form the freezing

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 Saint Louis University
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

LABORATORY MANUAL

surface. Ice grows from the plates outwards, and mechanically suspended impurities in the
water are separated and fall to the bottom of the tank. The ice cake usually is thawed from the
plate by passing hot gas through the coils. Distilled water is not required for the manufacture of
clear ice, and electric drive may, therefore, be used. The ice gradually forms in 8 to 10 days to
a thickness of 12 to 14 in.

The freezing tank area required by the plate system is about twelve times that required by the
can system, and the cubical contents are about four times as great. The advantage of the plate
system that clear ice is produced without special apparatus is offset by the fact that the building
up of the ice is slow and expensive; also, for continuous operation several tanks are required,
so that one or more may be frozen while the others are being emptied. The cost of the plate
system is about one-third more than that of the can system. In the can system, ice is drawn
throughout the day while in the plate system, the entire product is harvested, cut, and stored in
a few hours. The plate system of making ice has become practically obsolete.

The schematic diagram of ice manufacturing is shown below:

II. EQUIPMENT/ MATERIALS NEEDED:

Mini-ice plant
2 thermometers
Clamp-on ammeter
VOM

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 Saint Louis University
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

LABORATORY MANUAL

III. PROCEDURES:
A. STARTING:
1. Open the liquid receiver inlet and outlet valves and the accumulator inlet valve.
2. Open the compressor suction and discharge manifold valves.
3. Open the suction line shut-off valves.
4. Open the filter-drier shut-off valve.
5. Switch off the suction and liquid solenoids.
6. Upon accomplishing the above procedures, start the mini-ice plant in the
following order:
a. Switch ON the air-cooled condenser.
b. Switch ON the brine agitator.
c. Switch ON the compressor.
7. When the compressor is already running and the low-pressure gage reads 5 psig,
slowly open the manual solenoid by-pass valve until the pressure rises to a
maximum pressure of about 35 psig or the equivalent on the high-side pressure
of 175 psig maximum pressure. The compressor will shut off upon reaching this
pressure.
Make sure that the setting of the low-pressure control switch of the compressor is set to
zero psig. Allow the pressure at the low-side to rise above zero before starting the
compressor.

The manual by-pass valve is to be used to supply liquid refrigerant to the system for the
first few hours of operation to avoid excessive pressure on the high-side to avoid
overloading the compressor. When the system has stabilized, close the manual by-pass
valve and open the high-side gauge valve.

8. Record the data as required in the data table on a 30-minute interval.

B. Check the brine tank for correct level of brine.
C. Run the mini-ice plant, without filling water in ice cans, until the brine temperature
reaches near 0C.
D. When the brine temperature is nearing 0C, fill the cans with fresh water. Take note
of the temperatures, pressures and other data. (refer to the data table). Let the unit
run until the pressures and temperatures are stabilized.

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 Saint Louis University
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

LABORATORY MANUAL

E. Run the mini-ice plant for sufficient time until ice is formed. Harvest the ice and take
note of the time of harvest. Refill the cans with water and repeat the procedures
until the next harvesting time.
Calculate the refrigerating effect.
IV. DATA AND RESULTS
Data Table:

TEMPERATURE
,C PRESSURE, psi VOLTAGE, volt CURRENT, ampere
KILOWA
TIM BRIN WATE DISCHAR COMPRESS COMPRESS TT- DESCRIPTIO
E E R SUCTION GE OR AGITATOR OR AGITATOR HOUR N

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 Saint Louis University
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

LABORATORY MANUAL

V. EXERCISES
From the data gathered, how long will the water freeze from the start of the experiment?

Why is a secondary refrigerant used in an ice plant?

What is the function of the H.P. - L.P. cutout?

________________ ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT COURSE #: DESCRIPTIVE TITLE: 5

 Saint Louis University
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

LABORATORY MANUAL

Determine the Coefficient of Performance (COP) of the system.

Coefficient of Performance (COP) : _______________________

VI. CONCLUSION (option of the department if this part will be included):

VII. REFERENCES
Avallon, E. A. & Baumeister T. III, eds. Marks’ standard handbook for mechanical engineers.
1

McGraw-Hill, New York, 1996, 9. 19-24.

Jordan, R.C. & Priester, G.B. Refrigeration and air conditioning. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey,
2

1956. p. 438.

Salisbury, J.K, ed. Kent’s mechanical engineers’ handbook – power volume. Wiley Engineering,
3

New York, 1950. p. 11-48 – 11-49.

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