Crytec designs and manufactures liquid or slurry ice machines that use its proprietary technology to produce a unique product: Bubble Slurry™ Ice, a pumpable ice sludge. There is no chilling medium colder, cleaner, purer, smaller and faster than Crytec’s Bubble Slurry™ Ice mix of microscopically small (5µ) ice crystals, air or gas (CO2 or O3) bubbles, and water.
Crystallization
After distillation, crystallization is the most commonly applied technological procedure to separate or dissolve solutions. Where distillation uses heating techniques, crystallization uses cooling techniques. The component, where ice crystals are created (crystallization), is called the “crystallizer or evaporator”, which consists of a cylinder or drum with two separate circuits: one with a refrigerant, and one with the cooling medium, the liquid that is meant to be cooled. Both solid or flake ice machines and the present-day slurry ice machines use sharp, metal or plastic knives or scrapers to cut or scrape the ice crystals from the cooled surface of the evaporator.
Scraped Surface Crystallizers of the First Generation Slurry Ice Machines
This technology has been in use for the past 25 years. The production and collection of ice crystals in these crystallizers are forceful and energy consuming procedures, which effects the ice machines’ reliability and efficacy. Because of the gap between the cooled surface of the evaporator and the knives/scrapers, a layer of ice crystals builds up on the surface of the evaporator; as a result there is a substantial drop in heat exchange or heat transfer capacity, which means a slower and inefficient extraction of heat from the cooling medium. In addition, adhesion forces between the knives/scrapers and the ice crystal layer not only increase the energy needs of the rotating engine, but also create a risk of blockage (clogging) of the flow of the cooled medium, and consequently a complete shutdown of the ice machine. To try and prevent these problems, various mechanisms are added, making the construction of this type of crystallizers complex, bulky and costly.
Crytec’s Wiped Surface Crystallizer: the Second Generation Slurry Ice Machine
Crytec’s Second Generation pumpable or Slurry Ice machine uses its proprietary and patented Wiped Surface Crystallizers or Evaporators, where the growth of ice crystals occurs in the volume of the cooled medium, i.e. sea or salted water. This effect is created by a combination of the following parameters:
- The unique design, precision tooling and finish of the inner tube of Crytec’s crystallizer are such that the growth of ice crystals on the evaporator’s cooled surface are prevented;
- The injection of an exact amount of air or gas (CO2 or O3) into the cooling medium;
- Precise control of the cooled medium’s inlet and outlet temperatures and pressures;
- Precise flow controls of refrigerant and cooled medium;
- The inner tube’s wall is gently rubbed by special plastic, rotating wipers.
The result is a continual production of Crytec’s unique Bubble Slurry™ Ice: a mixture of soft, tiny (5 micron in size) ice crystals and air or gas (CO2 or O3) bubbles suspended in cooled water, and can be pumped over a distance of up to 100 m, using regular pipes or hoses and a regular pump. The Bubble Slurry™ Ice concentrations can be regulated to about 50% during on-line production, and to 70% when accumulating in Crytec’s mixing/storage tanks. Higher concentrations will affect the pumpability of the Bubble Slurry™ Ice.
Click here for detailed information about TESS (Thermal Energy Storage Systems. On average Bubble Slurry™ Ice has a heat flux (= capability to cool down rapidly) of 1.5 to 2 times that of first generation slurry ice and 2 to 4 times that of flake ice.
Comparisons based on an equal/comparable net weight of pure ice.
Click here for more, detailed information about the First and Second Generation Slurry Ice machine
Advantages of Crytec’s Technology
| of Crytec’s Bubble Slurry™ Ice machines: |
Compact |
Smallest footprint and weight (40 to 70% compared to other ice machines) |
Simple |
Plug-and-Play: only requires electricity, cooling medium (e.g., seawater) and condensing water supply (not needed with air-cooled units) |
Affordable |
Prices are similar to ice machines with comparable icemaking capacities |
Energy-effective |
Low energy consumption as a result of a superior heat transfer process: ratio nominal electrical power per ton refrigeration of 1.6 to 2.0 versus 2.5 to 3.8 in other machines, and low refrigerant charge of 1.4kg/TR versus 3 to 10kg/TR |
Cost-effective |
High yields with up to 50% pure ice concentrations |
Efficient |
100% of cooling surface used, versus 70 to 85% in other machines |
Reliable |
No knives or scrapers, and hence no breakdowns due to blocked or damaged evaporators |
Production output |
Can produce Bubble Slurry™ Ice online, especially useful for applications on fishing vessels |
Economical |
Lower energy needs owing to less components and the used technology |
Clean and hygienic |
Non-toxic circuitry, and approved for food uses (e.g., wine production, juice concentrates, and rapid chilling in food processing) |
Environmentally friendly |
Elimination of the use and regeneration of toxic or explosive solvents, and use of R507A, a zero ozone-depleting refrigerant |
Unique |
No comparable equipment currently available |
Click Here to download our brochure About Bubble Surry™ Ice
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| of Crytec’s Bubble Slurry™ Ice: |
Pumpable |
Smooth, easy flowing, microscopic ice crystals (5µ), water and air or gas (CO2 or O3) bubbles |
Fast |
Due to its properties and its 100% efficient use of its cooling surface area, chills produce extremely fast |
Efficient |
Surrounds product completely and fully, leaving no air pockets |
Long-lasting |
Maintains a lower temperature for a longer period of time |
Unique |
No comparable slurry or liquid ice with the same properties currently available |
Multiple applications |
Chill-kill of shellfish and finfish, wherever rapid cooling is required (meat and poultry processing, vegetables & flowers, etc.), concentration of juices, production of wine, storage of thermal energy, desalination, treatment of waste water, and much more |
Click Here to download our brochure About Bubble Surry™ Ice Machines |
For specifications of Crytec Bubble Slurry™ Ice machines Click Here (International) or Click Here (US)
Click here to visit our FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) page for more, detailed information
